Associate Professor of the Department of Software Olha Gladkova participated in joint developments of Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic and KU Leuven in the field of exoskeletons and biomedical assistive devices
As part of the Erasmus+ KA107 academic mobility program, Associate Professor of the Department of Software of the Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic National University Olha Gladkova completed a research internship at the Catholic University of Leuven (KU Leuven, Belgium), which became the next stage in the development of scientific cooperation between universities in the field of biomedical engineering and personalized exoskeletons technologies.
The research work was carried out under the supervision of Professor Kathleen Denys, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering KU Leuven and Professor Petro Arras, Faculty of Engineering Technology KU Leuven. The internship lasted from May 1 to June 29.
The aim was to conduct research in the field of intelligent technologies for computer-aided design and additive manufacturing of individualized biomedical assistive devices for people with upper limb impairments.
During the internship, the team analyzed modern scientific research, international standards, patents, and engineering solutions in the field of assistive device design. Based on the results obtained, a concept of intelligent technology for individualized design of biomedical assistive devices was developed, which combines a user-oriented approach, parametric CAD modeling, and additive manufacturing technologies.
The participants created a parametric CAD model of the device, manufactured a physical prototype using 3D printing technologies and conducted its initial laboratory testing. Practical meetings were held in the KU Leuven laboratories, where modern equipment for rapid prototyping, 3D printing technologies, methods for studying the physical and mechanical properties of materials and approaches to assessing the quality of manufactured products were presented.
The internship contributed to establishing new scientific contacts, discussing the prospects for further joint research and developing international cooperation between Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic University and KU Leuven. The results obtained are planned to be used in further scientific research, preparation of international publications, as well as to improve the educational process in the areas of computer-aided design, biomedical engineering and additive manufacturing technologies!
