The Project
FesRobex is a research project focused on developing a Hybrid Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) and Robotic Exoskeleton system for the rehabilitation of lower limb motor functions. The system combines functional electrical stimulation with a robotic exoskeleton to help treat gait disorders, balance and coordination of movements in patients with stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, paraplegia, and other neurological and orthopaedic conditions.
Research Objectives
- Study existing FES systems and recovery robots and compare them
- Develop a hybrid control system that adequately manages the balance between FES and robotic controllers
- Design and implement the mathematical model for calculating the torque at each joint for the appropriate selection of motors
- Create a real-time sensor monitoring system for lower limb biomechanical data acquisition during gait analysis
- Develop the central control system (Master-Slave controller) integrating all subsystems
System Components
- Electromyography system (EMG) — Monitoring muscle electrical activity
- Electrical Muscle Stimulation System (FES) — Functional electrical stimulation for muscle activation
- EMG & FES integrated system — Combined electromyography and stimulation control
- Robotic Exoskeleton — Mechanical structure with actuated joints for lower limb support
- Central Control System — Master-Slave controller coordinating all subsystems
- Communication Network — Data link between all system modules
Key Publication
Kavalieros, D.; Kapothanasis, E.; Kakarountas, A.; Loukopoulos, T. “Methodology for Selecting the Appropriate Electric Motor for Robotic Modular Systems for Lower Extremities.” Healthcare 2022, 10(10), 2054. doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10102054
Affiliation
Department of Computer Science and Biomedical Informatics
University of Thessaly, 35131 Lamia, Greece
Intelligent Systems Laboratory (iSL)
Dimitrios Kavalieros — Ph.D. Candidate & Lead Researcher
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