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According to Patrick Slade, an assistant professor of bioengineering at Harvard's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and associate faculty member of the Kempner Institute, expert mobility is a characteristic of highly intelligent behavior and a key area for research. To understand neuromotor principles and develop devices that assist with movement, the Slade Lab utilizes bioengineering and artificial intelligence techniques.
The Slade Lab applies insights gleaned from AI-generated simulations to build real-world biomedical devices with the potential to improve the everyday lives of people with motor challenges. This is a member of the Slade Lab using a prototype of an "exoskeleton" to assist people with walking difficulties. Image Credit: The Slade Lab
Many skills humans consider intelligent, such as prediction, long-term planning, and abstract problem solving, require conscious effort. In contrast, movement is often taken for granted. It seems effortless and intuitive, unlike the activities typically associated with the term "intelligence."
There are many mobility disorders that disrupt our ability to control our bodies. So we need to better understand neuromotor control in order to help rehabilitate people.
Patrick Slade, Associate Faculty Member and Assistant Professor, Bioengineering, Harvard SEAS, Kempner Institute
Intelligence in Motion:
Neuromotor control refers to how neurons in the brain and nervous system interact with muscles to generate voluntary movements. According to Slade, the brain continuously assesses and balances various motor needs while the body moves.
Slade added, “If you are late for the bus, you are going to prioritize speed, and you might not care if you’re sweaty, or using a lot of energy. But if it’s icy outside, you may prioritize stability, and that’s going to change how you move. In other situations, like hiking, you might need to be very careful where you’re placing your feet.”
Humans and other animals can balance these parallel trade-offs—speed, energy, stability, and so on—in real time while pursuing different goals, such as catching the bus or reaching the summit of a mountain. The key question shared by motor neuroscientists and bioengineers is: how does the brain manage this type of "intelligence in motion"?
Using AI to Understand Neuromotor Control:
Slade’s current research at the Kempner Institute focuses on understanding the fundamental scientific concepts and mechanisms underlying intelligence in motion by integrating neuroscientific, machine learning, and biomechanical methodologies.
At Kempner, Slade's team is analyzing large datasets of nerve and muscle measurements using advanced AI techniques. The Slade Lab is developing skeletomuscular simulations, which are computer models that simulate how muscles control the skeleton, using data gathered from extensive datasets of real human movement.
These virtual representations of human movement enhance the understanding of how the body moves. Slade and his team aim to apply the insights from AI-generated simulations to develop biomedical devices that could improve the daily lives of individuals with motor impairments.
Building Practical Tools for Improving Lives:
The Slade Lab has developed prototypes of exoskeletons and other prosthetic devices to assist individuals with motor difficulties, using insights from neuromotor control research. These wearable devices are equipped with sensors that collect neuromotor data, utilizing artificial intelligence to identify key movement features and interpret that information to help improve motor activity.
For instance, an exoskeleton worn over the legs could provide additional force when the user needs to climb a hill.
Slade is currently focused on designing devices for individuals with reduced vision. This includes a self-driving robotic cane for people with partial vision impairments, as well as a smartphone worn around the neck. Using advanced computer vision models, the phone can analyze the environment and provide real-time auditory feedback to assist with navigation.
Regarding the cane, Slade explained, “It’s like the user has their own personalized self-driving car, but they get to walk themselves.”
In addition to enhancing the general capabilities of these devices, Slade emphasizes the importance of tailoring them to meet each user’s specific needs.
“One rule of thumb we’ve seen in our studies is that personalizing physical assistive medicine approximately doubles the benefits of the device,” stated Slade.
Making the user’s experience with assistive technology as seamless as possible is critical. A device can either feel cumbersome and awkward, or it can become an extension of the user’s body.
“The whole crux of what we hope to do is make the human-robot interaction seamless to the user,” added Slade.
Sparking New Research Directions:
Slade explains that the Kempner Institute has provided him with the opportunity to expand his understanding of motor control science, leading to the development of new and innovative ideas.
“At the Kempner, I get to interface with all these different scientists, and that’s helped us better understand many aspects of the science of motor control. It’s definitely sparked a lot of new directions for our research,” concluded Slade.
