Virtual reality environments as a therapeutic technique in rehabilitation of physical and cognitive training in soccer players

Um dos principais problemas dos jogadores de futebol são as lesões que sofrem durante a carreira. Por isso, os clubes profissionais investem em equipas médicas especializadas para contornar esse problema. Com a evolução das tecnologias interativas, têm sido muito os estudos para resolver esse problema e trazer mais opções para o campo científico. Apesar desse esforço, ainda faltam estudos sobre a introdução de tecnologias interativas nesses contextos. Desenvolvemos um sistema para testar se o uso dessas novas tecnologias, mais especificamente a realidade virtual, poderia trazer mais motivação e evitar a monotonia de atletas profissionais na realização de exercícios de reabilitação. Ao longo desta dissertação, iremos explicar todos os processos que foram realizados até chegar ao sistema atual. A explicação do processo inclui os exercícios de reabilitação física escolhidos, bem como o desenvolvimento do software que os envolve. Os estudos realizados durante esta tese revelaram feedback positivo entre os atletas e há potencial de trabalho futuro em termos de utilidade do sistema.One of the main problems of football players is the injuries they suffer during their careers. For that reason, professional clubs invest in specialized medical staff to overpass this problem. With the evolution of interactive technologies, many studies have been made to address this problem and bring more options to the scientific field. Despite this effort, there is still a lack of studies regarding the introduction of interactive technologies in these contexts. We developed a system to test whether the usage of these new technologies, more specifically virtual reality, could bring better motivation and avoid monotony in professional athletes when performing rehabilitation exercises. Throughout this dissertation, we will explain all the processes that were performed until reaching the current system. The explanation of the process includes the physical rehabilitation exercises chosen, as well as the software development entailing those exercises. The studies performed during this thesis revealed positive feedback among athletes and there is future work potential in terms of the usefulness of the system

Simulation And Control At the Boundaries Between Humans And Assistive Robots

Human-machine interaction has become an important area of research as progress is made in the fields of rehabilitation robotics, powered prostheses, and advanced exercise machines. Adding to the advances in this area, a novel controller for a powered transfemoral prosthesis is introduced that requires limited tuning and explicitly considers energy regeneration. Results from a trial conducted with an individual with an amputation show self-powering operation for the prosthesis while concurrently attaining basic gait fidelity across varied walking speeds. Experience in prosthesis development revealed that, though every effort is made to ensure the safety of the human subject, limited testing of such devices prior to human trials can be completed in the current research environment. Two complementary alternatives are developed to fill that gap. First, the feasibility of implementing impulse-momentum sliding mode control on a robot that can physically replace a human with a transfemoral amputation to emulate weight-bearing for initial prototype walking tests is established. Second, a more general human simulation approach is proposed that can be used in any of the aforementioned human-machine interaction fields. Seeking this general human simulation method, a unique pair of solutions for simulating a Hill muscle-actuated linkage system is formulated. These include using the Lyapunov-based backstepping control method to generate a closed-loop tracking simulation and, motivated by limitations observed in backstepping, an optimal control solver based on differential flatness and sum of squares polynomials in support of receding horizon controlled (e.g. model predictive control) or open-loop simulations. v The backstepping framework provides insight into muscle redundancy resolution. The optimal control framework uses this insight to produce a computationally efficient approach to musculoskeletal system modeling. A simulation of a human arm is evaluated in both structures. Strong tracking performance is achieved in the backstepping case. An exercise optimization application using the optimal control solver showcases the computational benefits of the solver and reveals the feasibility of finding trajectories for human-exercise machine interaction that can isolate a muscle of interest for strengthening

Smart portable rehabilitation devices

BACKGROUND: The majority of current portable orthotic devices and rehabilitative braces provide stability, apply precise pressure, or help maintain alignment of the joints with out the capability for real time monitoring of the patient's motions and forces and without the ability for real time adjustments of the applied forces and motions. Improved technology has allowed for advancements where these devices can be designed to apply a form of tension to resist motion of the joint. These devices induce quicker recovery and are more effective at restoring proper biomechanics and improving muscle function. However, their shortcoming is in their inability to be adjusted in real-time, which is the most ideal form of a device for rehabilitation. This introduces a second class of devices beyond passive orthotics. It is comprised of "active" or powered devices, and although more complicated in design, they are definitely the most versatile. An active or powered orthotic, usually employs some type of actuator(s). METHODS: In this paper we present several new advancements in the area of smart rehabilitation devices that have been developed by the Northeastern University Robotics and Mechatronics Laboratory. They are all compact, wearable and portable devices and boast re-programmable, real time computer controlled functions as the central theme behind their operation. The sensory information and computer control of the three described devices make for highly efficient and versatile systems that represent a whole new breed in wearable rehabilitation devices. Their applications range from active-assistive rehabilitation to resistance exercise and even have applications in gait training. The three devices described are: a transportable continuous passive motion elbow device, a wearable electro-rheological fluid based knee resistance device, and a wearable electrical stimulation and biofeedback knee device. RESULTS: Laboratory tests of the devices demonstrated that they were able to meet their design objectives. The prototypes of portable rehabilitation devices presented here did demonstrate that these concepts are capable of the performance their commercially available but non-portable counterparts exhibit. CONCLUSION: Smart, portable devices with the ability for real time monitoring and adjustment open a new era in rehabilitation where the recovery process could be dramatically improved

Structural design and analysis of exoskeleton handling robot based on virtual simulation technology in artificial intelligence environment

 With the rapid development of our economy and the acceleration of the aging of the population, more and more manual jobs can not find suitable candidates, and the exoskeleton assisted transport robot(EATR) has become a research hotspot. Most of the existing exoskeleton assisted robots at home and abroad are expensive and complex in structure, which is not suitable for the actual needs of ordinary workers in India. Based on the virtual simulation technology(VST), the structure of exoskeleton assisted handling robot(EAHR) is designed and studied in this paper. Through the VST, the virtual prototype of the bone assisted handling robot is simulated, and the virtual prototype model of the exoskeleton robot(ER) is established. The driving function of each joint handling action is established for the human body(HB) handling action. The simulation results show that the movement trajectory of the lower limb joints of the ER is almost identical with the input angle of the lower limb joints of the HB's gait movement, and has high response and stability characteristics