Elastic Path Controller for Assistive Devices

Robotic assistive devices that constrain motion along pre-defined paths are useful in reducing maneuvering efforts by human. This paper introduces an elastic path controller (EPC) that adds "elasticity" to the path following and enables dynamic modification of the paths. This permits the users to compensate for changes in the environment such as introduction of new obstacles or for errors in position sensing. The experiments performed on a Scooter cobot show that users can learn to use this novel tool to modify and design guiding paths in a relatively simple way. The operators use the EPC by pushing/pulling against the guided paths to produce the desired deformations. Then, by just dropping the forces and trusting the path controller, they will be brought back to the guided paths