Neurorehabilitation of the hand using the cybergrasp[TM] and mirror image

In recent years, researchers have explored the use of a mirror image as a means of rehabilitation for individuals suffering from hemiparesis. Through neuroimaging and functional testing, neurological improvement has been demonstrated in those that engage in mirror therapy. Bilateral training, or simultaneous movement of both sides of the body, has also been studied as a treatment method to improve function after cerebral vascular accident. The development of robotic systems to assist movement of the human body has played a major role in the fabrication of bilateral training devices. In this experiment, the CyberGrasp™ robotic exoskeleton was used to assist the paretic hand in simultaneous bilateral movement in three subjects more than 1 year post stroke. While the bilateral motion took place, the subject viewed a mirror image of their unaffected hand superimposed on their impaired hand. Results at the end of 2 weeks showed no major change in active digit extension, but a noted decrease in the stretch reflex and clinically significant improvements on the Jebsen Test of Hand Function. The system resulted in no major side effects. In conclusion, robot-assisted bilateral training in conjunction with mirror therapy may be a helpful treatment in patients suffering from hemiparesis due to neurological impairment. The experiment conducted demonstrated the feasibility of the system to be used in further research

Use of sensitive robots for rehabilitation purposes

Tato práce se zabývá problematikou návrhu aplikace pro účely rehabilitace horních končetins využitím průmyslového senzitivního robota KUKA LBR iiwa. Rešeršní část práceobsahuje přehled výzkumů zabývajících se robotickou rehabilitací s využitím průmyslovýchrobotů i jednoúčelových zařízení. Dále se tato část skládá z popisu vlastností průmyslovýchsenzitivních robotů od známých výrobců, včetně jejich vzájemného porovnáníz hlediska využitelnosti pro účely rehabilitace. Závěr rešeršní části obsahuje přehled současnýchtechnik robotické rehabilitace spolu s popisem hlavních účelů a funkcí rehabilitačníaplikace, jejímž návrhem se zabývají další kapitoly.Hlavní komponenty systému tvoří kooperativní robot LBR iiwa komunikující s počítačem.Robot slouží jako nástroj pro provádění fyzioterapie, včetně záznamu a vyhodnocenísil, kterými pacient na koncový efektor robota působí. Aplikace v počítači sloužíjako uživatelské rozhraní umožňující kromě vizualizace a sledování průběhu fyzioterapietaké například správu složek pacientů. Pro kontrolu pokroku pacientů jsou data z rehabilitacepřehledně prezentována a ukládána. Uživatelské rozhraní je vytvořeno prostřednictvímprogramovacího jazyka C#.This thesis deals with application design for the purpose of upper limb rehabilitation usingKUKA LBR iiwa Industrial Sensitive Robot. The research part contains an overview ofresearch on robotic rehabilitation using industrial robots and dedicated devices. Further,this part consists of a description of the properties of industrial sensitive robots fromknown manufacturers, including their mutual comparison in terms of usability for rehabilitationpurposes. The conclusion of the research section is an overview of the currenttechniques of robotic rehabilitation together with a description of the main purposes andfunctions of the rehabilitation application, whose proposal is dealt with in other chapters.The main components of the system are the LBR cooperative robot iiwa communicatingwith the computer. The robot serves as a tool for physiotherapy, including recordingand evaluating the forces that the patient exerts on the end effector of the robot. Theapplication on the computer serves as a user interface allowing, in addition to visualizingand tracking the course of physiotherapy, for example, patient folder management. Tomonitor patient progress, rehabilitation data is clearly presented and stored. The user interfaceis created using C# programming language

Comparison of Different Training Algorithms for the Leg Extension Training with an Industrial Robot

In the past, different training scenarios have been developed and implemented on robotic research platforms, but no systematic analysis and comparison have been done so far. This paper deals with the comparison of an isokinematic (motion with constant velocity) and an isotonic (motion against constant weight) training algorithm. Both algorithms are designed for a robotic research platform consisting of a 3D force plate and a high payload industrial robot, which allows leg extension training with arbitrary six-dimensional motion trajectories. In the isokinematic as well as the isotonic training algorithm, individual paths are defined i n C artesian s pace by sufficient s upport p oses. I n t he i sotonic t raining s cenario, the trajectory is adapted to the measured force as the robot should only move along the trajectory as long as the force applied by the user exceeds a minimum threshold. In the isotonic training scenario however, the robot’s acceleration is a function of the force applied by the user. To validate these findings, a simulative experiment with a simple linear trajectory is performed. For this purpose, the same force path is applied in both training scenarios. The results illustrate that the algorithms differ in the force dependent trajectory adaption