Minimalistic Robotics to Augment Human Movement

Day 2 | 15:00 – 15:15 | Main Hall

Photo. Portrait of Heike Vallery.

Prof. Dr. Heike Vallery

RWTH Aachen

Abstract

Robotic systems designed to empower motor-impaired individuals are often highly complex, which hinders their adoption. This talk outlines how implicit assumptions and long-standing design paradigms can lead to unnecessary complexity in hardware and control of such robotic systems, and how simpler solutions might be found using “subtractive design”. For example, our surprising experimental results with robotic support systems challenge assumptions on what humans need or prefer in order to walk or balance better. Questioning such assumptions may lead to surprisingly simple, effective, and commercially viable alternative solutions. The principles will be illustrated using several examples, including intelligent technology for fall injury prevention and robotic toys for paediatric rehabilitation.

Prof. Dr. Heike Vallery

In 2004, Heike Vallery graduated with honors from RWTH Aachen University with a Dipl.-Ing. degree in Mechanical Engineering. Since then, she has been working on robot-assisted rehabilitation and prosthetic legs, in close collaboration with clinicians and partners from industry. In 2009, she earned her Dr.-Ing. from the Technische Universität München and then continued her academic career at ETH Zürich, Khalifa University and TU Delft. Today, she is a full professor at RWTH Aachen and TU Delft, and also holds an honorary professorship at Erasmus MC in Rotterdam. Heike Vallery received numerous fellowships and awards, such as the 1st prize of the euRobotics Technology Transfer Award 2014, and recently an Alexander-von-Humboldt professorship to join RWTH Aachen. Her main research interests are in design and control of minimalistic robotics.