Locomotion Lab
Contact Person: Niels Will
The Locomotion Lab provides a dynamic test environment for various robotic application scenarios. A central element is the Motek RYSEN 3D body-weight support system, which enables safe development and testing of robotic gait systems and exoskeletons.
Application focus
At DFKI RIC, robotic systems are developed that adapt flexibly to the dynamic requirements of different application scenarios. The Locomotion Lab enables robotic walking systems and exoskeletons to be tested in practical trials and optimised in a targeted manner.
The RYSEN 3D body weight support system is used to support this development work. It reliably protects test subjects and systems from falls without restricting natural movement patterns. This allows even complex application scenarios to be investigated with minimal risk, such as human robot interaction as well as locomotion and manipulation tasks in realistic environments.
Overall, the Locomotion Lab serves to further develop technologies for rehabilitation, assistance, and training in medical applications as well as in everyday life and work. In addition, it provides an ideal testing infrastructure for specialised application fields such as telemanipulation or astronaut training and creates optimal conditions for research into humanoid robotics and robotic locomotion systems.
Infrastructure
With a floor area of 108 m² and a ceiling height of over 6 m, the lab provides the spatial conditions required for a wide range of experiments on robotic walking systems. The increased ceiling height enables optimal use of the RYSEN system as well as flexible arrangement of sensors and test equipment, such as motion capture systems.
Part of the laboratory is specifically designed for applications involving the 3D body weight support system. Additional areas are available for flexible, temporary experimental setups, including walking robotics experiments, rehabilitation studies, and tests with cooperative robotic systems.