Upper body posture estimation for standing function restoration

This paper addresses the problem of restoring standing in paralegia via functional electrical stimulation (FES) and investigates the relationship between body posture and voluntary upper-body movements. A methodology is presented for upper-body posture estimation in the sagittal plane from force and torque measurements exerted on handles during human standing, in the hypothesis of quasi-static equilibrium. The method consists in setting up constraints related to the geometric equations and the hand-handle interaction. All measured quantities are subject to an uncertainty assumed unknown but bounded. The set membership estimation problem is solved via interval analysis. Guaranteed uncertainty bounds are computed for the estimated postures. The methodology is validated experimentally with spinal cord injured patients with lesions between T5 and T12. Possible applications of the developed methodology are lower limbs function rehabilitation within clinical centers, walk assistance and independent mobility for spinal cord injured patients.