Title:

Powered Ankle Exoskeletons to Restore Mobility Post-Stroke

Speaker:

Dr. Gregory Sawicki

Affiliation:

Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering

When:

Tuesday, September 10, 2019 at 12:00:00 PM   Add to Calendar

Where:

IBB Building, Room 1128

Host:

Dr. Aaron Young
aaron.young@me.gatech.edu

Abstract

We seek to develop lower-limb wearable robotics to improve mobility post-stroke. Our approach begins with basic science studies aimed at understanding how hemiparesis influences lower limb joint neuromechanics and energetics during walking post-stroke. In this talk I will highlight our (mostly failed) attempts to use myoelectrically controlled powered ankle exoskeletons at both fixed and increasing walking speeds to improve human 'gas mileage' post-stroke and take the opportunity to motivate a strong need for more formal collaboration between scientists studying the neuroscience of motor (re)learning and rehabilitation engineers seeking to develop wearable robots that can restore movement following neurological injury.

Biography

Dr. Gregory S. Sawicki is an Associate Professor at Georgia Tech with appointments in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and the School of Biological Sciences. He directs the Human Physiology of Wearable Robotics (PoWeR) laboratory where the goal is to combine tools from engineering, physiology and neuroscience to discover neuromechanical principles underpinning optimal locomotion performance and apply them to develop lower-limb robotic devices capable of improving both healthy and impaired human locomotion (e.g., for athletes, aging baby-boomers, post-stroke community ambulators).

Notes

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