Design of an End-Effector Ankle-Foot Rehabilitation Robot with 3 DOF

Abstract

Stroke patients experiencing foot drop and foot pronation issues in the ankle joint require prompt treatment, and patients at different rehabilitation stages have distinct acceptable rehabilitation postures. In this study, we designed a new ankle rehabilitation robot that supports bilateral rehabilitation of the ankle joint across three degrees of freedom, featuring a compact structure and adjustable working posture. Using the standard Denavit-Hartenberg model, we modeled and validated the robot's workspace. The robot's passive rehabilitation training performance was tested. The results indicated that the maximum position error of motor operation on both sides did not exceed 5%, fulfilling the requirements for balanced bilateral rehabilitation in stroke patients. The robot's design is anticipated to offer multiple postures ankle rehabilitation training support for stroke patients.