Considering the human in the human-robot system

Katherine Poggensee

Wearable robots are rapidly improving with new developments in hardware and control. However, challenges persist in tailoring devices to individual needs. Throughout this talk, I will present my research on methods to facilitate co-adaptation of these human-robot systems. I will discuss my doctoral work with ankle exoskeletons, focusing on a protocol to optimize assistance and on the neuromechanical consequences of that training. I will then describe additional applications for these ideas, such as a robotic balance-assisting backpack, and my future plans for developing new approaches to train robots and their users.

 Katherine Poggensee is a biomechanist and roboticist from TU Delft and Erasmus MC in the Netherlands. She has degrees in Movement Science and Mathematics (University of Michigan) and in Mechanical Engineering (Carnegie Mellon, Stanford). In her Ph.D. with Steve Collins and Koushil Sreenath, she characterized the human response to ankle exoskeletons. Her postdoctoral work is aimed at improving balance with a robotic backpack, in collaboration with Laura Marchal-Crespo and Heike Vallery. Additionally, Katherine has worked with bipedal robots, children with neuromotor disorders, and biomechanical simulations. Her work has been funded by the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, the Clare Boothe Luce Fellowship, and, recently, the Marie Skłodowska‑Curie European Postdoctoral Fellowship.

https://columbiauniversity.zoom.us/j/94854939647?pwd=MTVBYmVqSHovVU14cDJSN1dBWDlBUT09

Meeting ID: 948 5493 9647
Passcode: 647574