WPI researchers to develop robotic arm for wheelchairs
Origami-inspired project will create framework for new soft robotics technologies
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Researchers at WPI are using origami to design a robot that could help wheelchair users pick up and grasp objects.
view moreCredit: Matt Burgos/WPI
Worcester, Mass. (Feb. 18, 2025)–Inspired by origami, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) robotics engineering researchers are developing a lightweight, flexible robotic arm that will enable a wheelchair user to safely grasp, lift, and carry objects that would otherwise be out of reach.
Through the four-year project, researchers Cagdas Onal, Berk Calli, and Loris Fichera are developing a framework for the design, modeling, and control of soft continuum robotic arms, which are more flexible than traditional robot arms. The research is funded by a $1,314,792 award from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
“The basic scientific discoveries we are making in this research address real-world challenges for people who use wheelchairs and need devices that will help them grab out-of-reach objects,” said Onal, who is principal investigator (PI) on the project and an associate professor in the WPI Department of Robotics Engineering. “A new class of lightweight, safe robotic arms based on the breakthroughs we are making would give those individuals more independence in their daily activities.”
Soft continuum robotic arms expand, shrink, and bend along their entire length, like a coiled spring, to move in different directions and travel around objects. That flexibility makes soft robotics a promising technology in complicated human environments. However, soft robotic arms also tend to be weaker, more shaky, and less precise than traditional robot arms made from rigid materials.
To address the weaknesses of soft robotic arms, the researchers are developing origami-inspired designs and novel fabrication methods for modules made of lightweight plastics, 3D printed components, and off-the-shelf items such as sensors and cables. By folding flat sheets of clear plastic into springy tube-like structures, the researchers are creating modules that are strong, stiff, and resistant to twisting, all while remaining lightweight. The researchers are also developing specialized algorithms that can run on microcontroller platforms to direct the motion and reactions of a robotic arm.
The project builds on Onal’s research into user-friendly soft robotic systems capable of performing tasks that rigid robots cannot tackle. Calli, an associate professor in robotics engineering, brings expertise in object manipulation technologies, especially for robots in recycling centers. Fichera is an assistant professor in robotics engineering whose research includes work on the development of surgical robots.
“Soft robots have big potential for assistive robotics,” said Calli. “You would need a very large, rigid robot to reach the high shelves of a cabinet, for example, and installing such robots next to a user does not make sense. Soft robots could expand to reach objects and shrink to a compact size when not in use, and they would be safer for users than rigid robots. Our project will enable soft robotics for assistive uses by developing novel sensing, control, and AI technologies.”
Onal said that one goal of the research is to develop a flexible and extendable robotic arm with off-the-shelf grippers that can pick up and carry a cup of water without spilling a drop.
“It’s exciting to work with WPI colleagues and students on a project that is pushing the boundaries of this technology,” Onal said. “More importantly, this research offers an opportunity to directly impact people in a positive way by enabling them to lift, move, and carry objects that they previously might not have been able to reach from a wheelchair. That would be a real achievement.”
UCF researchers receive $600 thousand grant to develop intelligent assistive robotics
The robots can help adults with upper extremity disabilities to perform essential tasks like eating and grooming
University of Central Florida
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An assistive robot demonstrates some of the tasks it may be able to perform. (Photo courtesy of Aman Behal)
view moreCredit: Photo courtesy of Aman Behal
For people with upper extremity disabilities — such as a stroke, multiple sclerosis or other conditions — assistive robotics can help restore their independence in performing everyday tasks like eating, grooming and grasping objects. But much like old dogs, these devices have a hard time learning new tricks.
“They need a lot of demos to learn new tasks, and people with disabilities aren’t able to provide these demos,” says Professor Aman Behal, an assistive robotics expert at UCF. “If they can, they might not be the best demos for the robot to learn from.”
Behal aims to address this challenge with his new research project, Mobile Robot Manipulators for Learning and Executing Instrumental Activities of Daily Living. The project is supported through a three-year, $600,000 grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research.
Currently, mobile assistive robotics can be mounted to the side of a wheelchair or can trail behind the individual, ready to assist when needed. These devices allow users to navigate their homes or travel to places like an office or local park, offering greater flexibility than stationary fixed-base robotics.
While the dexterity of these robots allows them to assist with complex tasks like brushing hair or cutting a piece of steak, they can be difficult for the user to control or teach. Assistive robots perform tasks better over time by mimicking the user, but in these situations, the user may not be able to complete the task correctly — or at all.
Behal and his team of researchers, including Clinical Associate Professor of Physical Therapy Morris Beato, and Professor of Statistics and Data Science Edgard Maboudou, will create intelligent and mobile robotic assistants that offer easier control and a better robot-human interface.
The project’s first year will focus on research and development, while the second and third years will incorporate testing and user feedback. Initial testing will be conducted with students, followed by studies involving adults with upper body paralysis.
“We will recruit adults between the ages of 18 and 65, bring them (into our lab) and essentially get the robots to do several tasks,” Behal says. “At the end of it, we’ll see how easy it was to interact with the robot.”
The researchers will survey the participants to find out how many times they had to tell the robot to perform a task, how long it took for the robot to complete the action, how many mistakes were made and how satisfied they were with the robot’s assistance.
The end goal is to develop smart robots that can give the user a greater degree of independence, leading to increased self-esteem and enhanced quality of life.
To complete the work, Behal is recruiting both students and adults for future studies. Undergraduate or graduate students who are interested in robotics and assistive technology can contact Behal for job opportunities. Adults in the Central Florida area who use a wheelchair and have upper extremity disabilities may email aman.behal@ucf.edu if they are interested in testing the assistive robots.
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