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

NRI-Small：机器人跑步机治疗下脊髓损伤

• 批准号: 1208637
• 负责人: John Hollerbach
• 金额: $ 90.9万
• 依托单位: University of Utah
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-09-01 至 2017-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1208637&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: NRI; Small; Robotic; Treadmill; Therapy

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.

将使用Treadport开发针对不完全性下脊髓损伤（SCI）患者的新康复疗法，Treadport是一种机器人跑步机，可在安全灵活的虚拟环境中提供逼真的步行体验。 Treadport克服了目前康复跑步机的局限性，这些跑步机与日常步行太不一样，因此限制了患者的康复。 我们将寻求提高患者的步行速度和努力，通过加强和训练患者对意外扰动的抵抗力，以及对正常步行至关重要的手臂摆动协调。 智能优点是体重辅助机器人跑步机训练，以及使用轻质外骨骼的手臂摆动辅助。 机器人跑步机将提供目前无法实现的监控辅助和虚拟现实训练场景。更广泛的影响是新技术和科学认识的发展，这将改善SCI患者的生活，使他们在受伤的情况下拥有最大的活动能力。 拟议的研究结合了机器人，生物力学和物理治疗的学科，并需要跨学科的培训。 预计该项目的积极社会性质将对工程和计算机科学领域代表性不足的人群特别有吸引力，特别是妇女和残疾人，该提案涉及国家机器人倡议的合作者主题，特别是康复、矫正和修复。