Publications by Type: Conference Paper

2020
R. W. Nuckols, K. Swaminathan, S. Lee, L. Awad, C. J. Walsh, and R. D. Howe, “Automated detection of soleus concentric contraction in variable gait conditions for improved exosuit control,” in IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), 2020. PDF
Y. Jin, et al., “Soft Sensing Shirt for Shoulder Kinematics Estimation,” in IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), 2020. PDF
2019
Y. M. Zhou, et al., “Soft Robotic Glove with Integrated Sensing for Intuitive Grasping Assistance Post Spinal Cord Injury,” in IEEE Internaional Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), Montreal, Canada, May 20-24, 2019. PDF
C. Payne, et al., “Variable Contraction Timing for a Soft Robotic Cardiac Assist Device,” in Hamlyn Symposium on Medical Robotics, 2019. PDF
2018
J. Chung, R. Heimgartner, C. O'Neill, N. Phipps, and C. Walsh, “ExoBoot, a soft inflatable robotic boot to assist ankle during walking: Design, Characterization and Preliminary tests,” in 7th IEEE RAS/EMBS International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics (BIOROB), 2018. PDF
O. Araromi, S. Castellanos, C. Walsh, and R. Wood, “Compliant low profile textile-integrated multi-axis force sensors,” in IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), Brisbane, Australia, May 21-25, 2018. PDF
S. Lee, et al., “Autonomous Multi-Joint Soft Exosuit for Assistance with Walking Overground,” in IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), Brisbane, Australia, May 21-25, 2018. PDF
J. Kim, et al., “Autonomous and portable soft exosuit for hip extension assistance with online walking and running detection algorithm,” in IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), Brisbane, Australia, May 21-25, 2018. PDF
E. Suarez, J. Huaroto, A. Reymundo, D. Holland, C. Walsh, and E. Vela, “A Soft Pneumatic Fabric-Polymer Actuator for Wearable Biomedical Devices: Proof of Concept for Lymphedema Treatment,” in IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), Brisbane, Australia, May 21-25, 2018. PDF
C. Payne, et al., “Force Control of Textile-Based Soft Wearable Robots for Mechanotherapy,” in IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), Brisbane, Australia, May 21-25, 2018. PDF
J. Bae, et al., “A lightweight and efficient portable soft exosuit for paretic ankle assistance in walking after stroke,” in IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), Brisbane, Australia, May 21-25, 2018. PDF
2017
O. Araromi, C. J. Walsh, and R. J. Wood, “Hybrid carbon fiber-textile compliant force sensors for high-load sensing in soft exosuits,” in IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), Vancouver, BC, Canada, September 24-28, 2017. PDF
G. Lee, Y. Ding, I. B. Galiana, N. Karavas, Y. M. Zhou, and C. J. Walsh, “Improved assistive profile tracking for walking and jogging soft exosuits with off-board actuation,” in IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), Vancouver, BC, Canada, September 24-28, 2017. PDF
J. B. Gafford, R. J. Wood, and C. J. Walsh, “Distal Proprioceptive Sensor for Feedback Control of Modular Roboendoscopic Systems,” in IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), Vancouver, BC, Canada, September 24-28, 2017. PDF
E. J. Park, et al., “Design and Preliminary Evaluation of a Multi-Robotic System with Pelvic and Hip Assistance for Pediatric Gait Rehabilitation,” in 15th IEEE International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics (ICORR), London, July 17-20, 2017. PDF
C. O'Neill, N. Phipps, L. Cappello, S. Paganoni, and C. J. Walsh, “Soft Robotic Shoulder Support: Design, Characterization, and Preliminary Testing,” in 15th IEEE International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics (ICORR), London, July 17-20, 2017. PDF
T. Ranzani, S. Russo, F. Schwab, C. J. Walsh, and R. J. Wood, “Deployable stabilization mechanisms for endoscopic procedures,” in IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), Singapore, 2017. Publisher's VersionAbstract
Abstract:
Flexible endoscopes are still the gold standard in most natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) procedures; however their flexibility (necessary for navigating through the GI tract) limits their capabilities in terms of distal manipulation and stability. We propose a deployable endoscopic add-on aimed at locally counteracting forces applied at the tip of an endoscope. We analyze different designs: a fully soft version and two hybrid soft-folded versions. The hybrid designs exploit either an inextensible structure pressurized by a soft actuator or the stiffness provided by the unfolded “magic cube” origami structure. We focus on the fabrication and experimental characterization of the proposed structures and present some preliminary designs and integration strategies to mount them on top of current flexible endoscopes.
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J. B. Gafford, R. J. Wood, and C. J. Walsh, “A high-force, high-stroke distal robotic add-on for endoscopy,” in IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), Singapore, 2017. Publisher's VersionAbstract
‘Snap-On’ robotic modules that can integrate distally with existing commercially-available endoscopic equipment have the potential to provide new capabilities such as enhanced dexterity, bilateral manipulation and feedback sensing with minimal disruption of the current clinical workflow. However, the desire for fully-distal integration of sensors and actuators and the resulting form factor requirements preclude the use of many off-the-shelf actuators capable of generating the relevant strokes and forces required to interact with tools and tissue. In this work, we investigate the use of millimeter-scale, optimally-packed helical shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators in an antagonistic configuration to provide distal actuation without the need for a continuous mechanical coupling to proximal, off-board actuation packages to realize a truly plug-and-play solution. Using phenomenological modeling, we design and fabricate antagonistic helical SMA pairs and implement them in an at-scale roboendoscopic module to generate strokes and forces necessary for deflecting tools passed through the endoscope working port, thereby providing a controllable robotic ‘wrist’ inside the body to otherwise passive flexible tools. Bandwidth is drastically improved through the integration of targeted fluid cooling. The integrated system can generate maximum lateral forces of 10N and demonstrates an additional 96 degrees of distal angulation, expanding the reachable workspace of tools passed through a standard endoscope.
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2016
O. Araromi, C. J. Walsh, and R. J. Wood, “Fabrication of Stretchable Composites with Anisotropic Electrical Conductivity for Compliant Pressure Transducers,” in IEEE Sensors Conference 2016, Orlando, Florida, 2016. Publisher's VersionAbstract

We present a simple fabrication approach for anisotropically conductive stretchable composites, towards novel flexible pressure transducers. Flexible electronic systems have gained great interest in recent years, and within this space, anisotropic conducting materials have been explored for enhanced sensing performance. However, current methods for producing these materials are complex or are limited to small fabrication areas. Our method uses film applicator coating to render commercially available conductive RTVs anisotropically conductive. A ratio of in-plane surface resistance to through-thickness resistance of 1010 was achieved using our method. Furthermore, we show that when a normal pressure is applied to such films, the in-plane resistance can be reduced by seven orders of magnitude for an applied pressure of 10 kPa. Hence these materials show great promise for the development of novel, robust pressure transducers.

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S. Lee, S. Crea, P. Malcolm, I. B. Galiana, A. T. Asbeck, and C. J. Walsh, “Controlling Negative and Positive Power at the Ankle with a Soft Exosuit,” in IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), Stockholm, Sweden, 2016, pp. 3509-3515. Publisher's VersionAbstract
The soft exosuit is a new approach for applying assistive forces over the wearer's body through load paths configured by the textile architecture. In this paper, we present a body-worn lower-extremity soft exosuit and a new control approach that can independently control the level of assistance that is provided during negative- and positive-power periods at the ankle. The exosuit was designed to create load paths assisting ankle plantarflexion and hip flexion, and the actuation system transmits forces from the motors to the suit via Bowden cables. A load cell and two gyro sensors per leg are used to measure real-time data, and the controller performs position control of the cable on a step-by-step basis with respect to the power delivered to the wearer's ankle by controlling two force parameters, the pretension and the active force. Human subjects testing results demonstrate that the controller is capable of modulating the amount of power delivered to the ankle joint. Also, significant reductions in metabolic rate (11%-15%) were observed, which indicates the potential of the proposed control approach to provide benefit to the wearer during walking.
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