Hi all,
We will have two student presentations upcoming Wednesday (24.04.2024) at 1:00 pm.
First, Jule Enninghorst will be presenting her final Master thesis talk. Then, Alaa Othman will be presenting his final Bachelor thesis talk. You can find their thesis titles and abstracts below.
The presentations will take place in E1.7, room 001.
Best regards,
Marie
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Jule will defend her Master thesis with the title
”Design and Evaluation of Strategies to Communicate Motion Intent for Arm-based Exoskeletons"
Abstract:
”As wearable robots become more integrated into everyday life, building trust between humans and robots becomes crucial. Exoskeletons, which augment human capabilities by actuating the body, hold great potential for enhancing physical performance and assisting with everyday tasks. Given the control exoskeletons have over the user's body, ensuring a safe and usable interaction is essential. For this, exoskeletons capable of proactively moving the user's body require clear communication of their motion intent. While the concept of communicating robot motion intent has been explored in non-wearable robots, mature approaches for exoskeletons are lacking. Addressing this research gap, this thesis presents a conceptual design to convey motion intent prior to its primary action for a one-degree-of-freedom arm exoskeleton. The design space comprises four dimensions, covering different types of exoskeleton motion, multiple physical motion properties, distinct activity levels and various types of motion intent. The concept presents motion strategies that leverage the inherent haptic feedback of exoskeleton motion by amplifying, resisting, and initiating a user's motion, and communicate whether the upcoming action will require high or low forces by the user. Since the user's arm is engaged in various levels of activity during daily tasks, we evaluate ten motion strategies with a proof-of-concept prototype, testing their detection, interpretability, noticeability, and integration across three different activity levels: active motion, passive motion, and at rest. We collect qualitative and quantitative data during the user study from questionnaires, system logs, and interviews. The results of our study provide insights into the potential of using motion strategies for communicating motion intent and their perceptions during different activity levels. Drawing from these insights, we synthesize design incentives that address activity level dependencies, the need to balance multiple criteria based on usage context, and suggestions on how to improve motion strategies by considering individual user characteristics. These incentives serve as an initial guideline for designing motion intent communication for exoskeletons, thereby facilitating safer and more user-friendly interactions."
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Alaa will defend his Bachelor thesis with the title
“Integration of Thread Embedding and Electroluminescence In 3D Printed Models”
Abstract:
“The ongoing development of 3D printing technology holds the potential for creating interactive and functional models. However, there are challenges, particularly when integrating different materials and implementing interactive designs. This work addresses the integration of EL-Wires (Electroluminescent Wires) into the 3D printing process to develop interactive 3D printed models. By using EL-Wires, visually appealing effects can be achieved that increase the interactivity of the models. The work focuses on hardware and software adjustments of the 3D printer to ensure seamless integration of the EL wires while maintaining the quality and structural strength of the printed objects. Validation is carried out by testing various embedding techniques and patterns that enable smooth integration of the EL wires into 3D printed models. Based on these results, prototypes of 3D-printed displays and models will be designed and manufactured to demonstrate the practical applicability of this technology in various contexts. This work aims to investigate the integration of EL-Wires into the 3D printing process and show how this can advance the development of interactive and functional 3D printed models.”