Passive prostheses are able to dissipate limited amounts of energy using resistive damper systems during “negative energy” tasks like sit-down. Consequently, users are forced to over-compensate with their upper body, residual hip, and intact leg. In contrast, powered prosthetic joints are controlled by motors, which can produce higher levels of resistance at a larger range of joint positions than passive damper systems. In this study, we found that a powered knee-ankle prosthesis significantly improved weight-bearing symmetry during sit-down compared to passive prostheses. However, we did not observe a corresponding decrease in intact-limb muscle effort. These results indicate that powered...
Read MoreNeuroRobotics Lab Showcase Latest Research at Limb Preservation Foundation’s Annual Conference
Lyndsey Schultz (BME) and Connor Olsen (ECE), two representatives from the NeuroRobotics Lab at the Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital, attended the Limb Preservation Foundation’s Annual Symposium in Denver on April 21st. The conference brought together patients, medical professionals, and industry experts to discuss the future of medicine and promote physical and emotional well-being. Read more...
Read MoreKuntz Lab Paper Published in IEEE TMRB Journal
Kuntz Lab paper, “Screw-tip Soft Magnetically Steerable Needles” has been published in the IEEE Transactions on Medical Robotics and Bionics (TMRB) journal....
Read MoreGould Lecture: Lenzi Presents on Bionic Leg Tech
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KuzfSHGH1A&t=1546s&ab_channel=J.WillardMarriottLibraryBuilding BionicsHow technologies are going to enhance the human body and end physical disabilityGould Lecture on Technology and the Quality Of LifeDr. Tommaso Lenzi, Ph.D.The field of bionics presents a unique opportunity to address the unmet needs of millions of individuals living with physical disabilities. Critical to this goal is the development of artificial systems and technologies that can merge with the human body – restoring, replacing or augmenting its capabilities.In this talk, Dr. Tommaso Lenzi, Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, a Core Faculty in the Robotics Center at University of Utah, and the Director of...
Read MoreHGN Lab Publishes in IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering
Lower-limb-powered prostheses can provide users with volitional control of ambulation. To this end, they require a sensing modality that reliably interprets user intention to move. Ultrasound has been shown to have better resolution and specificity than surface EMG. However, this technology has yet to be integrated into lower-limb prostheses. In this paper, we show that A-mode ultrasound sensing can reliably predict the prosthesis walking kinematics of individuals with a transfemoral amputation. Ultrasound features from the residual limb of 9 transfemoral amputee subjects were recorded with A-mode ultrasound during walking with their passive prosthesis. The manuscript is freely available at this...
Read MoreHGN Lab Publishes Paper in MDPI Actuators
Torque-sensitive transmissions have emerged as promising solutions to meet this need by significantly increasing actuator efficiency and power density, but their modeling and analysis remain an open research topic. In this paper, we introduce the sensitivity between input displacement and output torque as a key metric to analyze the performance of these complex mechanisms in dynamic tasks. Our results show that sensitivity analysis is a valuable tool for designers to systematically analyze and create transmission systems capable of human-like physical behavior. The manuscript can be downloaded freely at this link: Actuators | Free Full-Text | Analysis and Validation of Sensitivity...
Read MoreKuntz Lab paper Accept to the International Symposium on Medical Robotics
Kuntz Lab paper, “A Radial Folding Mechanism to Enable Surgical Continuum Manipulators to Fit Through Smaller Ports” has been accepted to the International Symposium on Medical Robotics (ISMR) 2023!...
Read MoreUWR Lab Received NSF Award
NSF awarded $425K funding for a new UWR Lab project titled “Adapting to the Human Body: Shape-Adaptive Attachment for Parallel Wearable Robots Using Jamming”....
Read MoreKuntz Lab IEEE Access Paper Awarded 2022 Best Video Award
Kuntz Lab IEEE Access paper has been awarded the 2022 IEEE Access Best Video Award Part 1! This award is given to the best video of papers submitted in a 6-month period to the multidisciplinary open access journal....
Read MoreDr. George Presents at BioHive Summit
Dr. George recently presented at the Biohive summit. This was a full-day, in-person event that featured a line-up of incredible speakers. BioHive records more of our popular “BioHive Talks” which highlights thought-provoking and inspiring conversations for our community. Biohive amplifies voices for stakeholders around the state including industry and those outside life sciences. Biohive seeks to share the Utah story and highlight issues that need to be addressed....
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