Robot technology has large scale application to support or improve huma in daily life. In the rehabilitation domain, robot technology is applied to enhance human movement, for instance in the form of lower and upper limb prosthetics or exoskeletons. While current robot technology is impressive, it effectiveness hinges on the complex interaction between these devices and the user. This interaction is difficult to model or predict, often resulting in reduced efficacy of robot technology. An international group of researchers, among which a research group from UMCG, works towards an innovative solution. This so-called Human-in-the-Loop approach combines smart experimental set-up with artificial intelligence to tune behavior of the robot device to the behavior of the individual user.
In a recent perspective paper published in Nature, the Human-in-the-Loop approach for optimizing human-robot interaction is described and recent challenges and application are displayed. Among these application are the first results from Human Movement Scientist prof. Han Houdijk, who together with UMCG colleagues from the dept of Rehabilitation (dr. Juha Hijmans) and Faculty of Sciences and Engineering (prf. Raffaella Carloni), works to optimize assistive orthopedic technology to enhance mobility of various patient populations.
Publication: On human-in-the-loop optimization of human–robot interaction
