Perching highlights the ability for aerial robots to save energy and maintain a vantage position for monitoring or surveillance. Existing aerial robots coordinate perching mechanisms and flight dynamics to achieve perching. However, there is often a dissociation between controlled collision and dynamic perching in existing designs of aerial robots,...

Background Soft pneumatic actuators (SPAs) have been a cornerstone of soft robotics for various applications such as mobile and assistive devices. SPAs are generally lightweight with a high power-to-weight ratio, inexpensive to fabricate, compliant, and can safely interact with the user and surrounding environment. Motions enabled by SPAs include combinations...

Workers, such as freight, stock, and warehouse personnel, perform continuous strenuous tasks such as packing, shelving, and unloading, on a daily basis. Because these tasks are both strenuous and repetitive, physical complications such as muscle fatigue, lower back injuries, and upper back injuries often develop in these workers. This results in reduced...

Background Prosthetic limbs are devices widely in use to remedy the impairment of functionality that results from the loss of a patient’s limb. Additionally, exoskeletons are “wearable robots” that provide a shell around the body and act as a bodily extension, increasing safety and functionality. These machines are frequently utilized...

Complex sensorimotor functions in the hand, such as proprioception and neuromuscular control, can be impaired by musculoskeletal disorders, neurological diseases and traumatic injuries. Traditional rehabilitation has shown to be effective at restoring some function back to an impaired hand, however, plasticity of the central nervous system to relearn...

The ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs) is partially lost in human beings with physical conditions such stroke, cerebral palsy, and old age. Such conditions often lead to partial loss of muscle function as well as weakness and muscle atrophy. A large number of people experience a loss of control and/or weakness in their quadriceps responsible...

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) affects roughly 3%-6% of the working population ages 18-64. This affliction is caused by applying stress on the median nerve that is routed through the carpal tunnel while it is at a positive or negative angle to the human wrist. The median nerve often becomes inflamed and swollen due to pressure from the palmar carpal ligament...

With an aging population that continues to grow, more people are undergoing spinal surgeries and may need to wear a brace to stabilize their spine for a period of time afterwards. Additionally, certain spinal injuries, most notably, lumbar spondylosis, require orthoses or braces to prevent worsening of the injury. Conventional braces utilize hard plates...