The Project

The Evryon project (Evolving Morphologies for Human-Robot Symbiotic Interaction) is a research project funded by the European Commission in the Seventh Framework Programme (Proposal/Contract number FP7-ICT-2007-3-231451).

The Evryon project aims at providing a novel design methodology for harvesting the potentialities of structural intelligence in the development of Wearable Robots, using a design for emergence approach where a symbiotic interaction between the robot and the human body is sought to achieve useful emerging dynamic behaviours.

Methodology

The application chosen for testing the proposed design method is an active lower limbs orthosis, for restoring a proper gait in aged subjects.

Relevant biomechanical properties of the human body are measured and given as input to a simulation environment able to reproduce the interaction between the human body and a robot.

This environment is functional for the design of the robot, which is obtained through an open-ended process where both morphology and control are co-evolved.

Novel hardware solutions (e.g. VIJs and data fusion techniques) necessary to achieve the desired emergent dynamic behaviours among the human body, the robot and the environment are studied and finally implemented in the fabricated prototype.

The prototype will be finally tested on a population of aged people, in order to validate the novel design methodology.

Project outputs

• A physics-based simulation environment (SE) where both a human body and a WR can be simulated;

• An evolutionary environment, integrating the SE and an evolutionary algorithm, for the automatic design of morphology and control of wearable robots;

• Novel joints with tunable dynamical properties (VIJs);

• A novel artificial skin for human-robot interaction monitoring;

• A prototype of an active lower limbs orthosis for restoring walking capabilities of aged subjects.

WP Implementations

The project work has been organised in 8 Work Packages (WPs). WP1 and WP8 include management activities. In particular, WP8 is devoted to exploitation and dissemination activities. The core RTD technologies and design methodologies will be developed in WP2, WP3, WP4, WP5 and WP6. Each WP hinges around the core competence of one Partner, who is the leader of that WP. Obviously each partner has more than one core competence. RTD WPs are strictly interwoven; despite of that, they can be divided in two classes: those oriented to the development of the novel design methodology (WPs 2,3,4) and those oriented to the development of the robot prototype (WPs 4,5,6,7).