Robotic stroke therapy assistant

Abstract

The Rehabilitation Technologies Division of Applied Resources Corp. (RTD-ARC) has engaged in a Phase I effort to commercialize a robotic bi-manual therapy machine for use in stroke rehabilitation, in cooperation with the VA Rehabilitation R&D Center in Palo Alto. The robotic therapy device, called ARCMIME here in order to differentiate it from its clinical predecessor, has the potential to improve rehabilitation outcomes significantly for individuals who have upper limb impairments due to stroke and other brain injuries. This paper describes design considerations and clinical outcomes with regards to the Phase I system. It was found that the kinematically simpler system adequately replicated the data outcomes of the more sophisticated PUMA-based experimental test rig.