Multi-Arm lower-limb rehabilitation robot for motor coordination training after stroke

• Published in: Journal of engineering (Stevenage, England) Vol. 2019; no. 14; pp. 478 - 484
• Main Authors: Wang, Chunbao, Xia, Jinfeng, Wei, Jianjun, Sun, Zhengdi, Duan, Lihong, Liu, Quanquan, Shen, Yaijing, Shang, Wanfeng, Lin, Zhuohua, Long, Jianjun, Wang, Yulong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: The Institution of Engineering and Technology 01.02.2019
• Subjects: arms; corresponding robot mechanism; designed robot; double‐arm structure; emerging robotic technologies; existing rehabilitation robots; four‐arm rehabilitation robot; gait training; hemiplegic patient; lower limb rehabilitation training; medical robotics; motor coordination training; multiArm lower‐limb rehabilitation robot; patient rehabilitation; rehabilitation demand; robotic arm; robotic joints; single‐arm; stroke patients; The 14th Asian Conference on Computer Aided Surgery (ACCAS 2018); therapist; stroke patients; corresponding robot mechanism; medical robotics; robotic arm; robotic joints; emerging robotic technologies; existing rehabilitation robots; motor coordination training; gait training; hemiplegic patient; patient rehabilitation; single-arm; multiArm lower-limb rehabilitation robot; rehabilitation demand; designed robot; lower limb rehabilitation training; arms; double-arm structure; therapist; four-arm rehabilitation robot
• ISSN: 2051-3305; 2051-3305
• DOI: 10.1049/joe.2018.9403

The number of stroke patients is rapidly increasing in the elderly society, which leads to growing demand for lower limb rehabilitation training. Currently, one patient needs two or more therapists for assistance during gait training. It results in the shortage of therapists' population, furthermore, heavy works load on the therapist. The emerging robotic technologies provide a solution to assist the therapist, and a number of corresponding researches have been reported. However, most of the existing rehabilitation robots adopt single-arm or double-arm structure, which pays less attention on motor coordination training for the stroke patients. Here, a four-arm rehabilitation robot (FARR) is proposed to assist the hemiplegic patient for motor coordination training. First, the rehabilitation demand is analysed and the corresponding robot mechanism is designed. Then, the kinematics of the robot based on the D-H expression is constructed, and the workspace is obtained. Thirdly, the speed control strategy and the cooperative control for gait training are constructed. The experiment of speed response verifies the superior tracking performance of the robotic joints, and the experiment of using the robot for gait training by a simulated subject is performed. These results prove the feasibility of the designed robot.