Seminar 2008 02 29 Biomorphic Circuits

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CISST ERC Seminar
Biomorphic Circuits and Systems: Control of Robotic and Prosthetic Limbs

Date: Friday, February 29, 2008
Time: 12:00pm
Place: CSEB B17 (Lunch will be served)

Speaker: Francesco Tenore
Johns Hopkins University
Title: Biomorphic Circuits and Systems: Control of Robotic and Prosthetic Limbs
Presentation: PDF, not yet uploaded

Abstract

Rhythmic motions in vertebrates, such as walking and swimming, are controlled by neural circuits in the spinal cord known collectively as the Central Pattern Generator (CPG). Successful emulation of the CPG could allow restoration of locomotion in paralyzed individuals or lower-limb amputees, as well as a biomorphic control of robotic locomotion. With these intentions, we developed custom-designed CPG-emulating chips, fabricated in analog Very Large Scale Integration (aVLSI) technology. We show that synchronized patterns, with arbitrary phase delays between them, can easily be implemented using this approach. This allows locomotory gaits of any kind to be programmed *in silico* and therefore to control bipedal robotic locomotion as well as lower limb prostheses.

Control of upper limb movements can also benefit from the pattern generation approach of the lower limbs through appropriate termination of the rhythmic movement. However, since the ability to perform these actions is useless without knowledge of movement intent, we also examined the possibility of decoding dexterous actions, specifically individual finger and hand movements. We successfully decoded these movements in able-bodied subjects and a *transradial amputee *using non-invasive surface myoelectric signals.

This decoding is shown to work in a real-time environment, setting up the possibility of transradial amputees controlling a prosthetic limb in a closed loop environment.

The endeavor of discovering an all-encompassing solution for control of upper and lower limbs will open up new perspectives in the fields of both robotics and prosthetics.

Bio

Francesco V. G. Tenore received the Italian *laurea* degree in Electronics Engineering from the University of Trieste in 2000, and enrolled in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Ph.D. program at Johns Hopkins University in 2001, from where he earned the M.S.E. degree in 2002. He was awarded a University of Trieste scholarship in 1998 and 1999 and was a recipient of the National Institutes of Health Neuroengineering Training grant in 2006. His research focuses on neuromorphic circuits and systems for control of upper and lower limb prostheses, and has been featured in scientific divulgation channels such as Beyond Tomorrow (Australia, 2005), Technology Review (2006) and EE Times (2007).