Project description
Neuro-robotic platform for lower limb recovery
Neuromuscular injuries often lead to long-term motor impairments, negatively impacting the quality of life of patients and their families. Existing robotic devices fail to optimally support recovery due to limited understanding of their impact on spinal and muscular activity. The ERC-funded RE-SPINE project proposes to develop a robotic platform that integrates a robotic ankle exoskeleton with spinal cord electrical stimulation to non-invasively target spinal motor neurons and muscles. The platform will analyse signals from the body and model how spinal motor neurons behave. This will offer patients the opportunity to actively control their joint movements and engage the right muscles at the right time, positively impacting their rehabilitation.
Objective
RE-SPINE develops a real-time neuro-robotic platform for lower limb rehabilitation. Motor recovery following neuromuscular injuries is often sub-optimal. A key barrier hampering progress is that current neurorehabilitation robots interact with the human with limited knowledge of their effect on critical neuromuscular targets.
RE-SPINE addresses this challenge by proposing a platform that integrates a stationary robotic ankle exoskeleton with a non-invasive spinal cord electrical stimulation system. This platform generates electrical and mechanical stimuli non-invasively, which are directed to spinal motor neurons and innervated muscle fibers, with precision not considered before.
RE-SPINE combines non-invasive biosignal recording and numerical modelling to decode the cellular activity of spinal motor neurons, with the resulting mechanical forces generated by innervated muscle fibers. In this way, residual spinal motor neuron activity is translated into biomechanical force, which is subsequently used to enable volitional and continuous control of a stationary robotic ankle exoskeleton across a wide range of joint rotations, which could not be otherwise achieved without neuro-robotic support. Concurrently, decoded spinal motor neuron activity is used to command spinal cord electrical stimulation patterns that modulate spinal excitability and neuronal synchronization, ultimately for enhancing volitional control of the own leg. Over time, the integrated effects of neuro-controlled electrical and mechanical stimulation promote positive neuro-plastic changes, which are required for gaining an integral motor recovery after injury, with potentials for disrupting current robotic systems for rehabilitation.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2024-POC
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
7522 NB Enschede
Netherlands
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.