Jeremy Olivier

HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland · inTECH

Extra robotic arms (XRAs) are gaining interest in neuroscience and robotics, offering potential tools for daily activities. However, this compelling opportunity poses new challenges for sensorimotor control strategies and human-machine interfaces (HMIs). A key unsolved challenge is allowing users to proficiently control XRAs without hindering their...

Exoskeletons are a perfect example of a mechatronics product. They illustrate the close integration and interdependence of mechanical design, drive train, sensors, control strategy and user interface. Recent developments of our lab will be discussed in detail. Application examples include paraplegics, amputees, muscular dystrophy patients. The moti...

A few years ago, we presented a new parallel robot kinematics (called “Dionis”) suitable for positioning an endoscopic tool above a patient, with a virtual center of rotation at the insertion point. A first prototype has been realized. This enables us to address a few specific mechanical design issues with the purpose of significantly increasing th...

Powered orthoses are leading to an imminent change in the field of assistance. The major challenges faced by the technology concern the management of the interaction between the user and the wearable device and the coordination between the user intention and the actuated motion. In the present study, we used the HiBSO (Hip Ball-Screw Orthosis) to i...

Recent advances in the field of brain-machine interfaces (BMIs) have demonstrated enormous potential to shape the future of rehabilitation and prosthetic devices. Here, a lower-limb exoskeleton controlled by the intracortical activity of an awake, behaving rhesus macaque is presented as a proof-of-concept for a locomotor BMI. A detailed description...

In operating rooms, communication errors between the surgeons and assistants may be a source of inefficiency or error. In laparoscopic surgery, the endoscopic camera is an essential device, usually held by a human, and, why not, by a robotic assistant. In this paper, a novel four-DoF isotonic foot interface for controlling an endoscope positioner i...

HiBSO is an active orthosis designed to assist the hip flexion-extension of the elderly. A fully autonomous system with untethered power electronics and energy supply is now available. Going beyond the restricted walking conditions of a treadmill unveils many opportunities for the understanding of human-robot interaction. Previous works have presen...

Powered orthoses are leading to an imminent change in the field of assistance. The major challenges faced by the technology concern the management of the interaction between the user and the wearable device and the coordination between the user intention and the actuated motion. In the present study, we used the HiBSO (Hip Ball-Screw Orthosis) to i...

The proportion of elderly people is rapidly growing and the resources to help them will soon be insufficient. An important difficulty faced by the seniors is locomotion. Among the conditions that may be responsible for gait impairment, the reduced muscular force is one of the most frequent in elderly. This thesis focuses on the design and the evalu...

Neuromuscular diseases (NMD) such as myopathies are characterized by symptomatic patterns of degenerative muscle weakness leading to severe walking disability. Due to low prevalence and great variability of symptoms, very little effort has been spent on assistive devices as compared e.g. to spinal cord injury (SCI) or stroke rehabilitation. The nee...

Patients affected by spinal cord injury cannot usually regain unassisted walking. This is why several research groups and companies have developed exoskeletons which enable these people to regain mobility in a standing position. The simplest joint configuration for exoskeletons is to actuate the knees and the hips in the sagittal plane. The ankles...

Wearable assistive robotics is a modern field where intelligent actuated systems work in collaboration with the body to replace a lost limb, to enhance performances (e.g. carrying load, walking, running, jumping) or to train or rehabilitate specific activities. Wearability (e.g. weight, bulkiness) and power are the two main competing characteristic...

Technological advancements have led to the development of numerous wearable robotic devices for the physical assistance and restoration of human locomotion. While many challenges remain with respect to the mechanical design of such devices, it is at least equally challenging and important to develop strategies to control them in concert with the in...

Mobility is often a central problem for people having muscle weaknesses. The need for new devices to assist walking and walk related activities is therefore growing. Lower limb actuated orthoses have already proven their positive impact with paraplegic patients and are potentially promising for assisting people with weak muscles. However, the trans...

In this paper we present the LegoPress, a simple and cost-effective robotic device intended to be used for leg-press movements in rehabilitation and training. Basic adjustments can be done on the sitting position so as to maximize comfort and adapt the posture of the user depending on the desired training. The LegoPress has two motorized axes indep...

Observation of lower limb kinematics is essential for the characterization of gait and related activities disorders. Robust, flexible and easy to use measurement systems are precious for patients’ follow-up in different medical domains. This study aims to characterize a lower limb optical tracking system based on one detector and seven active marke...

Characterization of gait is largely used for research on locomotion or for clinical improvement and follow up. There exists two main technologies for measurement of the kinematics of walking: IMU systems and optical tracking. Inertial measurement units are getting more and more popular because of their integrability, cost and lack of spatial limita...

In this paper we present a motorized hip orthosis to assist elderly people while walking, stair climbing and during the sit-to-stand transitions. The design is based on biomechanics considerations. Ranges of motion, velocities and torques of the hip joint rotations were studied from the literature to define precise design specifications. In order t...

In this paper we present the LegoPress, a simple and cost-effective robotic device intended to be used for leg-press movements in rehabilitation and training. Basic adjustments can be done on the sitting position so as to maximize comfort and adapt the posture of the user depending on the desired training. The LegoPress has two motorized axes indep...

The population ageing implies an increasing need for support especially in terms of mobility. Actuated orthoses offer new possibilities to assist walking by compensating the diminished muscular force which occurs with age. In order to assist efficiently the user, the orthotic device needs to provide torque without constraining the voluntary movemen...

With the increase of life expectancy, a higher number of elderly need assistance to maintain their mobility and their independance. The hip joint is crucial for walking and is problematic for a large number of aged people. In this paper we present a novel design of a motorized hip orthosis to assist elderly people while walking, stair climbing and...

The population ageing implies an increasing need for support especially in terms of mobility. Actuated orthoses offer new possibilities to assist walking by compensating the diminished muscular force which occurs with age. In order to assist efficiently the user, the orthotic device needs to provide torque without constraining the voluntary movemen...