Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Manus Robotics, Inc.

Baldin Adolfo Llorens-Bonilla

Haruhiko Harry Asada

Sheng Liu

Faye Y Wu

Methods and systems for determining changes in muscle activity patterns based on the optical response of subcutaneous human body structures are presented, along with methods and systems for controlling assistive robotic systems based on the measured muscle activity patterns. Elements of a muscle activity measurement system are mechanically coupled to a wearable structure that fits closely to a portion of the body of a human user. The muscle activity measurement system includes multiple emitters and detectors at different spacing along the skin surface. In some embodiments, the illumination intensity of each measurement channel, the programmable gain of each measurement channel, or both, are calibrated to maximize measurement sensitivity. In some embodiments, optical measurement data is employed to more accurately locate the muscle activity measurement system with respect to the human body. In some embodiments, a muscle activity measurement system tracks changes in muscle structure over time.

Methods and systems for muscle activity measurement and gesture detection

A wearable robotic system assists a wearer in performing manual tasks. One or more robotic arms are mounted to a wearer, and an sensor monitors the orientation(s) (e.g., position and movement) of the wearer's upper body and one or both arms. A controller detects a task being performed by the wearer based on the orientation(s) as indicated by the orientation sensors. In response, the controller causes the robotic arm to perform an action independent of the orientation(s) of the wearer's arms and complementary to the task, thereby aiding the wearer to accomplish the detected task.

Growing community of inventors

Cambridge, MA, United States of America

Baldin Adolfo Llorens-Bonilla