Assistive robotic device: evaluation of intelligent algorithms

Assistive robotic devices can be used to help people with upper body disabilities gaining more autonomy in their daily life. Although basic motions such as positioning and orienting an assistive robot gripper in space allow performance of many tasks, it might be time consuming and tedious to perform more complex tasks. To overcome these difficulties, improvements can be implemented at different levels, such as mechanical design, control interfaces and intelligent control algorithms. In order to guide the design of solutions, it is important to assess the impact and potential of different innovations. This paper thus presents the evaluation of three intelligent algorithms aiming to improve the performance of the JACO robotic arm (Kinova Robotics). The evaluated algorithms are 'preset position', 'fluidity filter' and 'drinking mode'. The algorithm evaluation was performed with 14 motorized wheelchair's users and showed a statistically significant improvement of the robot's performance.Comment: 4 page

Preliminary development of an active planar upper limb rehabilitation robotic device

This paper presents the development of a low-cost active planar upper limb rehabilitation robotic device, which aims to help in the rehabilitation process of people living with movement disorders. Many people living with conditions such as cerebral palsy, stroke, spinal cord injury or muscular dystrophy experience upper limb impairments (muscle spasticity, lack of selective motor control, muscle weakness or tremors), and require physical and occupational therapy to maintain or gain motor performance. The proposed device is designed to be fixed on a table. Direct current (DC) motors control the two degrees of freedom (DOF) of the mechanism. The user interacts with the device using a handle. The device is designed so that the handle stays in the same orientation all the time. The device offers different levels of assistance to guide planar movements, going from a complete assistance, where the user is guided by the mechanism that performs predefined movements recorded by the therapist, to the addition of resistance during the movement, where the user moves the end effector without the help of the mechanism and the latter adds perturbations

JACO assistive robotic device : empowering people with disabilities through innovative algorithms

JACO is a commercially available robotic assistive device designed to help people with upper body disabilities gaining more autonomy in their daily life. The device consists of an arm and hand (gripper) mounted on a power wheelchair. This assistance is possible through basic functions such as tri-dimensional displacement of the gripper in space, finger opening and closing and orientation of the wrist. Although these basic functionalities allow the user to perform many tasks, advanced functionalities were required to further empower the users. This paper presents advanced functionalities that were implemented in JACO in order to increase the users’ safety and to enhance their autonomy by increasing the number of achievable tasks and diminishing the time and effort needed to achieve them

SUVREMENE TEHNOLOGIJE U FIZIOTERAPIJI

Uvod: U ovom radu sistematizirane su suvremene tehnologije koje su usmjerene fi zioterapiji ili su specifi čno razvijene za fi zioterapeute i korisnike fi zioterapijskih usluga te se govori o fi zioterapijskim tehnologijama. Razrada: U radovima većine istraživača navode se mogućnosti i potencijali suvremenih tehnologija za učinkovitost fi zioterapije i racionalnost pristupa. Tehnologije koje su obuhvaćene ovim radom proizlaze ili su dio informacijskih i komunikacijskih tehnologija te su se naglo razvile u 21. stoljeću: mobilna telefonija i mobilne aplikacija u fi zioterapiji, adaptivne tehnologije za osobe s onesposobljenjem, prijenosni senzorni sustavi, društveni mediji, sustave prividne stvarnosti, bionički i robotički sustavi i telerehabilitacija. Većina istraživača osim potencijala koji su neupitni i početnih jasnih dokaza o učinkovitosti, navode potrebu daljnih istraživanja u potrazi za dokazima. Naglašava se i sigurnost korisnika fi zioterapijske tehnologije kao i pravni, etički i profesionalni aspekti njenog korištenja. Zaključak: Fizioterapijska se tehnologija razvija i snažno utječe na organizaciju fi zioterapije te proces fi zioterapije. Nužno je sustavno istražiti sve koristi i nedostatke primjene fi zioterapijske tehnologije, s ciljem da se iskoriste uočeni potencijali i rizici smanje na najmanju mjeru

Upper limb rehabilitation interventions using virtual reality for people with multiple sclerosis: a systematic review

Background Research on Virtual Reality (VR) based motor rehabilitation for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) is rapidly growing in popularity, although few studies have focused on the upper limb (UL). The aims of this review were to investigate the effect of VR interventions on UL function in people with MS and determine if the type of VR intervention influences intervention effect. Method Five databases (IEEE Xplore, MEDLINE, ProQuest Central (Health & Medical Collection), Science Direct and Web of Science Core Collection) were searched using keywords that relating to MS, VR and UL. Results Ten articles were included, six randomised controlled trials, three cohort studies and one pilot observational study. Both commercial and custom VR technologies were used in interventions, along with combination approaches using robotics, electrical stimulation and occupational therapy. Using the Nine Hole Peg Test, two studies found significant improvements within groups, one found that VR was more effective than another gaming approach. Significant improvements in other UL measures were in the Fugl-Meyer Assessment for the proximal arm; handgrip; perceived strength; Jebsen-Taylor Hand Function Test; Wolf Motor Function Test; active range of motion and trajectory measures after VR intervention. There were conflicting results regarding if VR was more effective than conventional approaches. Conclusion There is therefore some evidence that VR is effective in improving motor function in the UL, however, there is no clear consensus on which VR based approaches are the most effective, or the optimum intervention duration and intensity. Moreover, as many of the studies had non-immersive approaches it is hard to determine how effective immersion based approaches maybe in such specific context

Design of a Gravity Compensation System for Human Lower-Limb Rehabilitation

The purpose of the research is to analyze a real system that is used to assist patients for lower-limb rehabilitation. The mechanism is based on a rotatable parallelogram linkage structure. Two groups of extension springs are used to suspend the weight of both the system and patients. During application, an adjustable proportion of users\u27 body weight can be suspended. In an ideal design, equations have been derived for determining the spring constants for any given suspended weight. These equations govern both initial conditions and adjustment conditions. Factors affecting the system parameters as well as adjusting method are discussed. In the actual system, factors that were not previously considered have been taken into consideration. Revised equations are provided with regard to real prototype. 3D models of all necessary parts are created for building prototype

Fuzzy sliding mode control of a multi-DOF parallel robot in rehabilitation environment

Multi-degrees of freedom (DOF) parallel robot, due to its compact structure and high operation accuracy, is a promising candidate for medical rehabilitation devices. However, its controllability relating to the nonlinear characteristics challenges its interaction with human subjects during the rehabilitation process. In this paper, we investigated the control of a parallel robot system using fuzzy sliding mode control (FSMC) for constructing a simple controller in practical rehabilitation, where a fuzzy logic system was used as the additional compensator to the sliding mode controller (SMC) for performance enhancement and chattering elimination. The system stability is guaranteed by the Lyapunov stability theorem. Experiments were conducted on a lower limb rehabilitation robot, which was built based on kinematics and dynamics analysis of the 6-DOF Stewart platform. The experimental results showed that the position tracking precision of the proposed FSMC is sufficient in practical applications, while the velocity chattering had been effectively reduced in comparison with the conventional FSMC with parameters tuned by fuzzy systems

Effectiveness of Technology-Based Distance Physical Rehabilitation Interventions for Improving Physical Functioning in Stroke : A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Objective: To study the effectiveness of technology-based distance physical rehabilitation interventions on physical functioning in stroke. Data Sources: A systematic literature search was conducted in 6 databases from January 2000 to May 2018. Study Selection: Inclusion criteria applied the patient, intervention, comparison, outcome, study design framework as follows: (P) stroke; (I) technology-based distance physical rehabilitation interventions; (C) any comparison without the use of technology; (0) physical functioning; (S) randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The search identified in total 693 studies, and the screening of 162 full-text studies revealed 13 eligible studies. Data Extraction: The studies were screened using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis guidelines and assessed for methodological quality and quality of evidence. Meta-analysis was performed if applicable. Data Synthesis: A total of 13 studies were included, and online video monitoring was the most used technology. Seven outcomes of physical functioning were identified-activities of daily living (ADL), upper extremity functioning, lower extremity functioning, balance, walking, physical activity, and participation. A meta-analysis of 6 RCTs indicated that technology-based distance physical rehabilitation had a similar effect on ADL (standard mean difference 0.06; 95% confidence interval: -0.22 to 0.35, P=.67) compared to the combination of traditional treatments (usual care, similar and other treatment). Similar results were obtained for other outcomes, except inconsistent findings were noted for walking. Methodological quality of the studies and quality of evidence were considered low. Conclusions: The findings suggest that the effectiveness of technology-based distance physical rehabilitation interventions on physical functioning might be similar compared to traditional treatments in stroke. Further research should be performed to confirm the effectiveness of technology-based distance physical rehabilitation interventions for improving physical functioning of persons with stroke. (C) 2018 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation MedicinePeer reviewe