NRI-Small: Robotic Treadmill Therapy for Lower Spinal Cord Injuries

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New rehabilitation therapies for patients with incomplete lower spinal cord injuries (SCI) will be developed using the Treadport, a robotic treadmill that provides a realistic walking experience in a safe and flexible virtual environment. The Treadport overcomes limitations of current rehabilitation treadmills, which are too dissimilar from everyday walking and therefore limit a patient's recovery. We will seek to improve a patient's walking speed and effort, resistance to falling by strengthening and training a patient to unexpected perturbations, and arm swing coordination which is critical for normal walking. The intellectual merit is the body-weight assisted robotic treadmill training, and arm swing assistance using a light-weight exoskeleton. The robotic treadmill will provide monitored assistance and virtual reality training scenarios not currently possible.The broader impact is the development of new technology and scientific understanding that will improve the lives of SCI patients so that they have the most mobility possible given their injuries. The proposed research combines the disciplines of robotics, biomechanics, and physical therapy, and requires interdisciplinary training. The socially positive nature of this project is expected to be especially attractive to underrepresented populations in engineering and computer science, particularly women and people with disabilities.This proposal addresses the co-worker theme of the National Robotics Initiative, particularly rehabilitation, orthotics and prosthetics.