Instrumented spatial linkage for real-time measurement of joint kinematics during robotic testing
Problem statement
The average person takes about 3000-4000 steps a day. Imagine feeling pain in your knees for every one of those steps you take. People who suffer from osteoarthritis, a chronic disease that causes pain, stiffness, and swelling in joints such as knees, go through this pain. Currently, research is being done by the University of Wisconsin’s Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation’s BAM Lab. They are performing surgical procedures on cadaver knees with osteoarthritis to test effectiveness surgical operations. The results are evaluated through before-and-after testing using a robotic arm and optical motion tracking sensors that measure the bone’s range of motion and resistance, with force feedback provided by the robot. Although this approach is effective at meeting regulations, the usage of optical motion tracking is still lacking because it is [1] noisy and [2] requires line of sight of a set of markers throughout testing. These factors create inadequate precision in the measurements taken and make it difficult to test all ranges of motion. Creating a more optimal testing solution for these procedures could provide doctors with enhanced insights into surgical effectiveness and guide their actions for future operations. We plan to aid this surgical research to give those with osteoarthritis a chance at painless walking by creating an instrumented spatial linkage to be used during these robotic arm tests. This linkage will provide a higher degree of precision and eliminate difficulties with line of sight with optical motion trackers, resulting in the advancement of surgical development for individuals suffering from osteoarthritis.
Team members
Jake Morris – facilitator
Abby Clark – communicator
Thomas Mitchell – accountant
Mindi Lam – admin
Client
Josh Roth
Department of Mechanical Engineering and Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation