2021 QDSA HDR Grant Recipient James Williamson – Recently we announced the three successful 2021 recipients of QDSA HDR Grants. This article looks at the submission by candidate James Williamson, who is representing member university, the University of Queensland.
James Williamson – University of Queensland
Project: Neuromuscular Biomechanics Lower-limb Exoskeletons
James’ and his team are working on a project focusing on developing wearable technology to support limb function that optimises physical performance and endurance.
The lower-limb exoskeletons are high tech devices that soldiers and military personnel can wear to allow them to move further and faster and reduce physiological fatigue.
The team collaborates with several specialised faculties within the University of Queensland to develop their technology, namely the School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, UQ Innovate and the UQ Advanced Prototyping Workshop in exoskeleton device design and construction.
Here is a summary of the project provided by James and his team at the University of Queensland.
Project Summary
Lower-limb exoskeletons represent a class of wearable technology that applies torque in parallel with muscle-tendon units. These devices aim to optimise physical performance and reduce injury by lowering musculoskeletal loads.
Reductions in musculoskeletal loads via the use of personalised ankle exoskeletons may have a transformational impact on reducing the physiological burden of locomotion on military personnel, allowing soldiers to move further and faster.
However, currently, there is a limited understanding of applying bio-enhancement technologies so that users obtain maximal benefit. This is a key barrier in their adoption and routine use outside the research laboratory.
The project aims to determine whether ‘tuning’ passive ankle exoskeletons to subject-specific biomechanical properties optimises performance compared to un-tuned devices. The ability to personalise passive exoskeleton devices to optimise performance may have significant applications in defence contexts.
The Team
James emphasises that he does not work alone and is supported by an expert team as their project progresses. This team comprises:
- Dr Taylor Dick, Neuromuscular Biomechanics Laboratory Director, Faculty of Medicine, UQ
- Professor Glen Lichtwark, Exoskeleton Design and Evaluation Adviser
- Mr James Williamson, Exoskeleton Design and Evaluation Project Lead
- Mr Jordan Yee, Exoskeleton Evaluation (Summer Research Student)
- Ms Jemima Po, Exoskeleton Evaluation (Research Assistant)
Impact of QDSA HDR Grant Funding
The QDSA HDR Capability Grant funds will allow James and his team to present a capability demonstration to Defence that encompasses the outcomes of an exoskeleton design framework to target novel defence application spaces.
The team are excited to work collaboratively with QDSA to shape their capability demonstration.
James believes that if successful in their pitch to Defence, the project could have significant benefits for Australia in advancing defence capabilities and securing the region via reducing the injury rate and enhancing performance in military personnel.
In addition, James says that while their focus is on defence-strategic applications, exoskeletons may have significant clinical applications, such as for musculoskeletal injury. These clinical applications have the potential to restore functional independence in people with gait disabilities or injuries and enhance their overall quality of life. This is something that James is particularly passionate about.
Future Goals
James is eagerly anticipating collaboration and input from all levels of defence on his exoskeleton design framework, and the QDSA is instrumental in providing this. The translation of scientific discovery towards defence applications via the QDSA is very exciting for James and his team.
One example of this interface in action is around “application spaces”. These are potential applications for exoskeleton devices.
Exoskeletons have been traditionally targeted at infantry personnel. But there is a potential benefit to other service roles to use modified exoskeleton devices. Developing these new applications is another area of research that James and his team eagerly hope to pursue.
On behalf of QDSA and our partners, the team wishes to congratulate James Williamson from the University of Queensland and our support for their journey ahead.
Learn more about QDSA HDR Capability Grants here.
QDSA Upcoming Events and Opportunities
QDSA has many upcoming events and opportunities, with more being added each week. Want to find out what is on the horizon? Check out our News section on our website here or subscribe to our e-newsletter here.
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QDSA Upcoming Events and Opportunities
QDSA has many upcoming events and opportunities, with more being added each week. Want to find out what is on the horizon? Check out our News section on our website here or subscribe to our e-newsletter here.
For real-time events and information, be sure to follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
The Queensland Defence Science Alliance (QDSA) is a university-led initiative to grow and connect an agile Defence innovation ecosystem, leveraging Queensland’s strengths, to deliver trusted solutions to meet Defence requirements.
