Electromechanical design of a body weight support system for a therapeutic robot for rodent studies

Author(s)
Mayalu, Michaëlle Ntala
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering.
Advisor
Neville Hogan.
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Abstract
As part of an ongoing effort to better understand and treat locomotor disorders, an over-ground therapeutic robot prototype to study recovery of locomotion after spinal cord injury in rodents is under development. One key element of the therapeutic robot is a system to support the partial body weight of a freely-moving rodent. This paper discusses the design requirements, fabrication, modeling, calibration and preliminary analysis of a highly back-drivable bodyweight support system prototype. In addition, a closed loop feedback control system was designed, simulated, constructed and tested. Hardware limitations were identified, and alternative control techniques were explored.
Description
Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2010.
 
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
 
Includes bibliographical references (p. 23).
 
Date issued
2010
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/59946
Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Keywords
Mechanical Engineering.
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