Karl Zelik Profile picture
Feb 12, 2020 5 tweets 3 min read Read on X
So… We pulled on people with a robot until they told us to stop. Turns out you can yank on shank, thigh & shoulders w/ about one full body weight of force (on avg) before people reach their comfort limit. This work informs design of assistive #exosuits 1/
journals.plos.org/plosone/articl… Image
We discovered that if we pull on people over multiple days, then by the 4th day they tolerated 20-35% higher forces than on the 1st day, before reaching their comfort limit. Multi-day habituation (to forces from exo/robot) makes a big difference in user comfort & experience! 2/
For as strange as this study sounds it was quite useful b/c it enabled us to evaluate & confirm that our back- & ankle-assist exos exert forces far below observed comfort limits. The findings also help inform future design concepts for augmenting human movement & capabilities. 3/ Image
Over the last decade exo technologies have shown clear & strong potential to assist users (reduce metabolic rate, muscle activity, etc). But ultimately if we want people to use & benefit from exos then we also need to understand & design for practical factors like comfort. 4/
This comfort study was one I wanted to do for years. Thx @MatthewYandell for leading it & carrying out the work with diligence & care. This marks the final chapter of his dissertation being published, congrats Matt! Proud of all you accomplished @VanderbiltU @EngineeringatVU 5/5

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More from @KarlZelik

Jun 3, 2023
Exoskeletons in construction:

Nice article posted to the Associated Builders & Contractors of Wisconsin website & co-written by Prof. Zhenhua Zhu from UW-Madison & Mariya Sorenson, a construction manager with M.A. Mortenson.

They highlight 3 potential broad impacts of exos: Image
1. Improving worker safety & fostering a better safety culture in the construction industry.

Exoskeletons can reduce fatigue, muscle strain & wear-and-tear injuries, which could lead to substantial cost savings.
2. Alleviating the shortage of skilled construction workers.

Exoskeletons could help extend careers & attract candidates who might otherwise be deterred by physically demanding jobs.
Read 7 tweets
May 31, 2023
🚀 5 years ago, I stumbled—somewhat unexpectedly—into the world of tech translation, commercialization & startups. It's been a wild & enriching adventure!

👨🏾‍🔬 As a scientist-turned-entrepreneur, this journey opened my eyes to the business world.

But...
😡 Amidst all the positive learning & growth, there's one thing that truly gets under my skin: misleading marketing & unsubstantiated claims.
😬 Brace yourself: The wearable & assistive tech industry (think #exoskeletons, #prosthetics, sensors) is still plagued by this problem! Whether it's in clinical, occupational, sport, or recreational applications, we need to address it head-on.

Now...
Read 11 tweets
Nov 16, 2022
I spend a lot of time thinking about & discussing the science of #exoskeletons.

3 years ago, the single most common question I heard was:

❓Do exoskeletons cause muscle atrophy?

Short answer: No.

But I don't hear this as often anymore.

I believe there are 2 reasons why👇🏽
1️⃣ Science Communication

• For a long time, exo engineers/scientists mostly spoke to each other

• But now a broader audience is interested in exo tech

• And more researchers/developers are engaging in public discourse

This is helping reduce exo myths & misconceptions 👏🏽 🎉
If you want a quick rundown on:

• what causes atrophy (muscle weakening/wasting)

• why exos are more likely to prevent atrophy than to induce it

Then check out this thread:
Read 7 tweets
Nov 15, 2022
Where do your research ideas originate from?

I used to source all of mine from academic literature & conferences, or from my own research.

But these can become echo chambers that limit thinking & creativity.

🔥 Here are 4 overlooked places to find impactful research problems:
1️⃣ Your own life

• This is why I started studying low back #biomechanics
• I was a parent to young kids & experiencing back pain
• I was curious if we could create more practical exoskeletons that'd fit into my own life

It started as an undergrad project then grew into more:
2️⃣ Spending time w/ users

• In academia we often talk about this
• But we tend to involve users too late in R&D
• And I'm not convinced we spend enough time doing it

Hearing pain points directly from #prosthetics users is what prompted the daily activities we now study:
Read 6 tweets
Oct 15, 2022
Science is the foundation, but user feedback is the north star:

• to know what to prioritize
• to learn where to improve
• to remember why you sweat all the science details

This is a vital lesson for those doing applied research whose feedback is mostly from other scientists
The combination of #biomechanics science and user-centric design is beginning to have the real-world impact the occupational #exoskeleton field long hypothesized it would.

End-users explain this best:
“When you show you care about people, that retains people,” one warehouse worker who piloted a back exosuit said. “Everybody in here, we’re all sore. We’re all hurting. But for the first time in a long time I won’t be hurting walking out of this building [because of the exosuit]”
Read 4 tweets
Oct 14, 2022
Early career researchers often stress out when they talk to more senior faculty about how many grant proposals they submit.
 
Don't compare. Focus on your writing process. Outcomes will follow.
 
Here are 5 proven tricks senior faculty use to submit more high-quality proposals:🧵
1. Resubmitting

• Revise/resubmit an unfunded proposal
• This takes much less time than writing a new application

This is easier to do (and comes naturally) as you get further into your career.
2. Repurposing

• Take a similar core idea and apply it to a new population or context
• Or you can sometimes submit the same proposal to multiple agencies (check w/ program officers first; you just can't accept two grants for the same work)

This helps get more shots on goal.
Read 7 tweets

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