Project description
How soft robotics can enhance human mobility
Soft robotics, a rapidly growing field, has witnessed remarkable progress in diverse applications like wearable devices and mobile robots. Among these innovations, the development of soft lower extremity exoskeletons, known as soft wearable robotics, stands out as a challenging research topic requiring multidisciplinary expertise. In this context, the EU-funded SWAG project aims to engineer soft structures without rigid materials. SWAG uses high-strength fabrics and films to create inflatable human-assistive exoskeletal devices that specifically target strain-prone segments of the human body, such as the lower body and core. By offering higher variable stiffness and force-to-weight ratios while conforming precisely to intricate joint kinematics, SWAG’s designs enable complete assistance for multi-degree-of-freedom joints like the ankle and hip.
Objective
"Soft robotics has become one of the fastest growing fields over the last decade, and the development of technologies related to the associated modelling, sensing, actuation and control challenges has flourished as part of the field’s impetus. Soft robots have been demonstrated in diverse applications such as wearable devices, mobile or locomotive robots, as well as soft manipulators. Soft lower extremity exoskeletons (“soft wearable robotics"" (SWRs)) are one of the most challenging research topics, and require multidisciplinary approaches involving diverse fields such as neuroscience, biomechanics, robot control, ergonomics and other fields.
SWAG aims to explore a fundamentally new approach to engineering soft structures that omit fully rigid materials for inflatable ones made from high-strength fabrics and films when manufacturing human-assistive exoskeletal devices that target strain-prone segments of the human body (i.e. lower body and core). Such soft wearable adaptive garments with actuation capabilities offer higher variable stiffness and force-to-weight ratios compared to other existing methods, and simultaneously entirely conform to each joint’s intricate kinematics. Because of this, new design approaches can be used as building blocks to realise complete assistance for multi-degree-of-freedom joints, such as the ankle or hip, by adapting flexible and conforming motions achieved by continuum robot designs.
SWAG’s advances will be demonstrated in 4 different application scenarios. The project brings together 13 partners from 5 EU countries and the UK. The partners consist of an interdisciplinary combination of leading academics with very strong track records in their respective fields. They are supported by RTOs with demonstrated capabilities of developing and validating application-driven solutions, as well as two commercial partners aiming to lead the exploitation of SWAG’s outcomes."
Fields of science
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesneurobiology
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesinternetinternet of things
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringroboticssoft robotics
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiophysics
- social sciencespsychologyergonomics
Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation ActionsCoordinator
15232 Chalandri
Greece