engleski

Design of the Prototype of a Full Arm Mechatronics Rehabilitation Device

Physical rehabilitation therapy is the proven method of regaining the functionality of impaired human arm movements, especially those resulting from stroke – the leading cause of adult disability in western countries. Traditional therapy requires physical therapists whose limited number and time availability restricts the rehabilitation outcomes. Mechatronics-based rehabilitation devices, which adaptively assist human movements, are nowadays a viable solution to cope with these shortcomings. The commercially available devices are, however, expensive and capacious, while their adaptability to the rehabilitation of both arms is limited. A crucial task in designing complex rehabilitation devices, which allow overcoming these difficulties, is the study of the kinematics of arms’ movements. It is postulated that a structure with seven degrees-of-freedom can assure a good combination of motion accuracy and acceptable device complexity. Electronics components (actuators with their drivers and power supplies as well as the feedback sensors) fitting the characteristics of the resulting mechanism must hence be chosen, and an appropriate simultaneous real-time control system is to be developed. Based on these considerations, the design of a prototype of a versatile, portable, efficient and cost-effective full arm rehabilitation device, providing high intensity and frequency treatment of both arms, is presented in this work.

Rehabilitation ; Mechatronics ; Mechatronics device design

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