Assistive Optimal Control on Request with Application in Standing Balance Therapy and Reinforcement

This chapter develops and applies a new control-on-request (COR) method to improve the capability of existing shared control interfaces. These COR enhanced interfaces allow users to request on-demand bursts of assistive computer control authority when manual/shared control tasks become too challenging. To enable the approach, we take advantage of the short duration of the desired control responses to derive an algebraic solution for the optimal switching control for differentiable nonlinear systems. Simulation studies show how COR interfaces present an opportunity for human–robot collaboration in standing balance therapy . In particular, we use the Robot Operating System (ROS) to show that optimal control-on-request achieves both therapy objectives of active patient participation and safety. Finally, we explore the potential of a COR interface as a vibrotactile feedback …