A 3D End-Effector Robot for Upper Limb Functional Rehabilitation of Hemiparesis Patients

Robot-assisted therapy is a new type of rehabilitation that allows for highly repetitive, intensive, adaptable, and quantifiable physical training. It is increasingly being used to restore motor function, particularly in stroke survivors with upper limb paresis. The end-effector type robot allows natural movements without complex structure which is ideal for functional rehabilitation training. A 3D end-effector base on a five-bar linkage has been proposed to improve the common end-effector type that covers mechanical design, dynamic control strategy, and application of rehabilitation training or exercise. The dynamic controllers are deweighting with gravity compensation, passive mobilization or active assistive, and the virtual spring-damper wall concept. These controllers are used for developing functional rehabilitation training or exercise from an engineering point of view based on experiences in developing various types of rehabilitation robots. The experiments, based on the performance of the controllers, have been conducted with healthy subjects. The experimental results have shown very promising results and can be extended to various types of functional rehabilitation

Robotic wheelchair controlled through a vision-based interface

In this work, a vision-based control interface for commanding a robotic wheelchair is presented. The interface estimates the orientation angles of the user's head and it translates these parameters in command of maneuvers for different devices. The performance of the proposed interface is evaluated both in static experiments as well as when it is applied in commanding the robotic wheelchair. The interface calculates the orientation angles and it translates the parameters as the reference inputs to the robotic wheelchair. Control architecture based on the dynamic model of the wheelchair is implemented in order to achieve safety navigation. Experimental results of the interface performance and the wheelchair navigation are presented.Fil: Perez, Elisa. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ingeniería. Departamento de Electrónica y Automática. Gabinete de Tecnología Médica; ArgentinaFil: Soria, Carlos Miguel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Automática; ArgentinaFil: Nasisi, Oscar Herminio. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Automática; ArgentinaFil: Bastos, Teodiano Freire. Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo; BrasilFil: Mut, Vicente Antonio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Automática; Argentin

An Industrial Robot-Based Rehabilitation System for Bilateral Exercises

Robot-assisted rehabilitation devices can provide intensive and precise task-based training that differs from clinician-facilitated manual therapy. However, industrial robots are still rarely used in rehabilitation, especially in bilateral exercises. The main purpose of this research is to develop and evaluate the functionality of a bilateral upper-limb rehabilitation system based on two modern industrial robots. A `patient-cooperative' control strategy is developed based on an adaptive admittance controller, which can take into account patients' voluntary efforts. Three bilateral training protocols (passive, active, and self) are also proposed based on the system and the control strategy. Experimental results from 10 healthy subjects show that the proposed system can provide reliable bilateral exercises: the mean RMS values for the master error and the master-slave error are all less than 1.00 mm and 1.15 mm respectively, and the mean max absolute values for the master error and the master-slave error are no greater than 6.11 mm and 6.73 mm respectively. Meanwhile, the experimental results also confirm that the recalculated desired trajectory can present the voluntary efforts of subjects. These experimental findings suggest that industrial robots can be used in bilateral rehabilitation training, and also highlight the potential applications of the proposed system in further clinical practices

Exploring the need of an assistive robot to support reading process: A pilot study

Reading is one of the main activities that readers are immensely practicing during their daily lives and this activity is accompanied with some challenges that may cause disengagement during the process.Recently, assistive robotics technologies have shown extensive powerful effects in assisting its users to tackle various domain specific problems.From that perspective, the main goal of this pilot study is to investigate the problems that readers encounter during reading process.In addition, it aims to probe the need of an assistive robot that makes reading process less challenging.A questionnaire survey was distributed to 100 students at Universiti Utara Malaysia and the analysis of the results showed that an assistive robot is promising to support reading process. Similarly, this study detailed the embodiment and the design aspects that need to be applied while designing an assistive reading robot

Effects of comparative feedback from a Socially Assistive Robot on self-efficacy in post-stroke rehabilitation

Abstract—We present a study with an autonomous Socially Assistive Robot (SAR) coach that investigates the effect of comparative feedback given by a SAR on the self-efficacy of individuals post-stroke in a seated reaching task. We compare two types of feedback, self-comparative and other-comparative, against a control of no comparative feedback, with 23 participants post-stroke. We find that participants receiving other-comparative feedback have significantly more delay time on the task than participants receiving self or no comparative feedback. In addition, we demonstrate that participants show task performance improvement over time, and provide responses to self-efficacy probes that vary along several dimensions. I

Design and experimental characterization of l-CADEL v2, an assistive device for elbow motion

An experimental characterization is presented for an improved version of a wearable assistive device for elbow motion. The design is revised with respect to requirements for elbow motion assistance, looking at applications both in rehabilitation therapies and exercising of elderly people. A laboratory prototype is built with lightweight, portable, easy-to-use features that are verified with test results, whose discussion is also provided as a characterization of operating performance

A propósito de Frankenstein y el autómata de san Alberto Magno… o de por qué la belleza humana no es asunto de robots

El campo de la robótica social antropomórfica constituye uno de los territorios más interesantes para la reflexión filosófica contemporánea, por cuanto aúna en un mismo frente cuestiones de orden antropológico, ético y estético. Tomando como base la leyenda medieval del autómata de san Alberto Magno, el presente trabajo señala los riesgos asociados a la mimetización robótica del ser humano cuando las presunciones teóricas sobre el mismo son deflacionarias de su complejidad. Presento, primero, un resumen del fenómeno del “valle inquietante” como respuesta estética de rechazo ante diseños robóticos que devalúan la complejidad formal y comportamental humana; seguidamente se estudian las soluciones más aceptadas desde el punto de vista ingenieril, basadas en diseños de apariencia conforme a un principio abstractivo más que imitativo; por último, tomando un ejemplo de performatividad robótica, argumento el irreductible carácter de la belleza y la creatividad humanas frente a sus conatos de imitación robótica

Robotic Biomedical Device for Recovering Cardiovascular Efficiency in Paraplegic Patients

This thesis is studying on the Design and development of a biomechanical robotize IPC device to accomplish a therapeutic methodology for recovery of cardio-circulatory functions, which may be seriously impaired in paraplegic patients. This impairment is caused by the reduction of venous return, due to the missing muscular contraction in zones without innervations. Intermittent Pneumatic Compression (IPC) is a well-known technique, which can be used for several therapeutic treatments like sports recovery, lymphoedema drainage, and deep vein thrombosis prevention. An IPC device produces a definite massaging action on the limb by inflating and deflating a given number of bladders according to particular time laws. The designed IPC device in this thesis is proposed for the lower limb to recover the venous return and preventing the Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) in the patients. The experimental tests on the volunteer persons showed the significant improvements on the important parameters of the cardiovascular, like the stroke volume (SV), the cardiac output (CO), and the end diastolic volume of left ventricle (LVEDV). To understand the dynamic behaviour of the IPC device and to optimize its performances, the device is characterized based on the mechanical and physiological aspects and its mathematical model is simulated in Simulink-Matlab. The validation of the mathematical model is done by comparing results with the experimental one. In addition, to apply the desired pressure pattern on the limb, two control strategies based on the PID algorithm and regulating inflating time are implemented on the model. The results of the controlled model, shows about 60% improving in performances of the device as concerns the bladder pressure control. In this case the experimental test has been done and it verified the control results of the simulatio

An ambient agent model for reading companion robot

Reading is essentially a problem-solving task. Based on what is read, like problem solving, it requires effort, planning, self-monitoring, strategy selection, and reflection. Also, as readers are trying to solve difficult problems, reading materials become more complex, thus demands more effort and challenges cognition. To address this issue, companion robots can be deployed to assist readers in solving difficult reading tasks by making reading process more enjoyable and meaningful. These robots require an ambient agent model, monitoring of a reader’s cognitive demand as it could consist of more complex tasks and dynamic interactions between human and environment. Current cognitive load models are not developed in a form to have reasoning qualities and not integrated into companion robots. Thus, this study has been conducted to develop an ambient agent model of cognitive load and reading performance to be integrated into a reading companion robot. The research activities were based on Design Science Research Process, Agent-Based Modelling, and Ambient Agent Framework. The proposed model was evaluated through a series of verification and validation approaches. The verification process includes equilibria evaluation and automated trace analysis approaches to ensure the model exhibits realistic behaviours and in accordance to related empirical data and literature. On the other hand, validation process that involved human experiment proved that a reading companion robot was able to reduce cognitive load during demanding reading tasks. Moreover, experiments results indicated that the integration of an ambient agent model into a reading companion robot enabled the robot to be perceived as a social, intelligent, useful, and motivational digital side-kick. The study contribution makes it feasible for new endeavours that aim at designing ambient applications based on human’s physical and cognitive process as an ambient agent model of cognitive load and reading performance was developed. Furthermore, it also helps in designing more realistic reading companion robots in the future