A networked control system (NCS) is a control architecture where sensors, actuators and controllers are distributed and interconnected. It is advantageous in terms of interoperability, expandability, installation, volume of wiring, maintenance, and cost-effectiveness. Many distributed network systems of various topologies and network types have been developed, but NCS systems tend to suffer from such issues as nondeterminism, long network delays, large overheads and unfairness. This paper presents the ring-based protocol, called the ExoNet, and its network architecture which are built to achieve better performance as a distributed networked system. A Cypress transceiver CY7C924ADX is applied to the network as a communication unit. The protocol is based on the transceiver and developed to achieve fast communication and allowable latency for controls with high control loop frequency. Compared with other standard network types such as Ethernet, ControlNet or DeviceNet, the network is characterized by its ring-based architecture, simple message and packet formats, one-shot distribution of control data and collection of sensor data, multi-node transmission, echo of a message, and other features. The network also guarantees determinism, collision-free transmission, relatively small overhead, fairness between nodes and flexibility in configuration. Its analysis and comparison with these network types are also provided and its application on the Berkeley Lower-Extremity Exoskeleton (BLEEX) is described.

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A portable electronic device configured for single hand use. The portable electronic device includes a housing, a micro-processor, a display and a keypad. The housing includes an operating surface and an upright hand-held operating position. The micro-processor is disposed within the housing and is coupled to the display and the keypad. The display is positioned on the operating surface and the keypad is positioned on the operating surface above the display with the housing in the upright hand-held operating position.

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To restore dexterity to paralyzed hands, we have designed and constructed a lightweight, low-profile orthotic exoskeleton controlled by the user’s residual electromyography (EMG) signals. In this paper, we compared several simple strategies to control the orthotic device for a quadriplegic (C5/C6) subject. When contralateral arm control was employed, we found that a simple on/off strategy allowed for faster interaction with objects, while variable control provided more controlled interactions, especially with deformable objects. Furthermore, we designed a control strategy that allowed for a natural reaching and pinching sequence without the use of the contralateral arm. We validated that the EMG signal from the ipsilateral biceps could be used to develop an extremely reliable natural reaching and pinching algorithm. This evaluation showed that different control strategies may be appropriate for different situations, and further investigation on the natural algorithm is crucial.

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A rrmuscle suit» that will provide muscular support for the paralyzed or those otherwise unable to move unaided is being developed as a wearable robot. The lack of a metal frame and use of McKibben artificial muscle allow the muscle suit to be lightweight, making it realistic to use in daily life. To overcome the basic concept of the muscle suit, the new structure with the mechanical joints and plastic frame is applied. Although Human ‘s range of motion was not furfilled by the new structure muscle suit, all seven upper limb motions were realized and range of motion might be enough for daily use.

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We have been developing robotic exoskeletons to assist motion of physi-cally weak persons such as elderly, disabled, and injured persons. The robotic exoskeleton is controlled basically based on the electromyogram (EMG) signals, since the EMG signals of human muscles are important signals to understand how the user intends to move. Even though the EMG signals contain very important in-formation, however, it is not very easy to predict the user’s upper-limb motion (elbow and shoulder mo-tion) based on the EMG signals in real-time because of the difficulty in using the EMG signals as the controller input signals. In this paper, we propose a robotic exoskeleton for human upper-limb motion as-sist, a hierarchical neuro-fuzzy controller for the robotic exoskeleton, and its adaptation method.

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