Gestural Interfaces and Robotics for Rehabilitation

描述(申请人提供)：这个小型企业创新研究第二阶段项目旨在开发基于机器人的内容，以实现上肢运动治疗目标，并评估CosmoBot Robotics系统作为治疗干预措施对被诊断为脑瘫、脑损伤和中风的儿童的临床疗效。脑性瘫痪是17岁及以下儿童最普遍和最常见的三种身体损伤之一，患病率为2.6%，每年发病率为43/10万儿童。美国疾病控制与预防中心估计，学龄儿童的脑损伤发病率为每10万人中有90人，导致每年新增6万名儿童脑损伤。美国疾病控制与预防中心估计，新生儿(1个月大)中风发病率为1：4000，2个月至18岁儿童中风发病率为14.5：100,000。宇宙机器人系统是由人类因素工程公司AnthroTronix，Inc.开发的。这项技术以CosmoBot为中心，这是一个儿童友好型机器人，通过各种接口控制，以适应个人需求，而不受身体限制。孩子通过手势控制机器人。手势可能包括伸手按下按钮，操作操纵杆，或者通过身体运动激活可穿戴传感器。CosmoBot系统允许孩子与环境互动，给孩子一种控制感。此外，机器人模仿动作，为学习提供反馈和动力。拟议的项目是开发特定的基于机器人的活动，以最大限度地提高宇宙机器人系统在瞄准治疗目标和激励有神经障碍的儿童方面的有效性。具体目标1是在软件中设计和开发基于机器人的活动，针对患有神经损伤的儿童的治疗目标，并将软件整合到系统现有的软件架构中。具体目标2是评估CosmoBot作为干预工具的有效性，并评估功能结果。具体目标2将在20名3-10岁的受试者中进行，这些受试者被诊断为脑瘫、脑损伤或中风，并在马里兰州切弗利的华盛顿山儿科医院或明尼苏达州罗切斯特的梅奥诊所接受门诊治疗。将采用双盲双交叉实验设计。将利用CosmoBot系统为每个儿童开发特定治疗目标的干预措施，并将其与相同治疗目标的传统治疗直接进行比较。衡量成功的标准是CosmoBot系统在瞄准已确定的治疗目标和吸引幼儿方面是否同样有效，或者更有效，以及该系统是否易于治疗师使用并被儿童和家长接受为治疗的积极组成部分。 对于肢体残疾儿童，许多人需要持续的物理和职业治疗，以优化他们的行动能力，以便他们能够参与家庭、学校和娱乐活动。影响儿童身体能力的最常见的脑部神经疾病是脑瘫、脑损伤和中风。该项目将开发使用治疗性玩具机器人CosmoBot的活动，以促进运动障碍儿童的运动发育和功能活动。两个地点的治疗师将对CosmoBot进行测试，以评估该系统的易用性，它对儿童的吸引力有多大，以及它是否有效地针对治疗目标。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project is to develop robot-based content to target upper extremity movement therapy goals and evaluate the clinical efficacy of the CosmoBot Robotics System as a therapy intervention for children diagnosed with cerebral palsy, brain injury, and stroke. Cerebral palsy is the most prevalent and one of the three most common physical impairment for children of ages 17 and under, with a prevalence of 2.6% and an incidence of 43/100,000 children per year. The incidence of brain injury among school aged children has been estimated by the CDC as 90 per 100,000 resulting in the addition of 60,000 children with new brain injuries annually. The incidence of stroke in neonatal children (<1 months of age) has been estimated by the CDC as 1:4000 and for children from 2 months to 18 years as 14.5:100,000. The CosmoBot system is developed by AnthroTronix, Inc., a human factors engineering company. The technology is centered around CosmoBot, a child-friendly robot controlled by various interfaces adapted to individual needs, regardless of physical limitations. The child controls the robot via gestures. Gestures may include reaching for a button, operating a joystick, or activating wearable sensors through body movement. The CosmoBot system allows the child to interact with its environment, giving the child a sense of control. In addition, the robot imitates movements, providing feedback and motivation for learning. The proposed project is to develop specific robot-based activities to maximize the CosmoBot system's effectiveness in targeting therapy goals and motivating children with neurological impairments. Specific Aim 1 is to design and develop the robot-based activities in software, targeting therapy goals for children with neurological impairments, and integrating the software into the system's already-existing software architecture. Specific Aim 2 is to evaluate CosmoBot's effectiveness as an intervention tool and assessing functional outcomes. Specific Aim 2 will be carried out with 20 subjects, ages 3-10, diagnosed with cerebral palsy, brain injury, or stroke and receiving outpatient therapy at the Mount Washington Pediatric Hospital, Cheverly, MD or the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. A blinded, double cross-over experimental design will be used. Interventions will be developed utilizing the CosmoBot system for a specific therapeutic goal for each child and will be compared directly to conventional therapy for the same therapeutic goal. The metrics for success are whether the CosmoBot system is just as, or more, effective, in targeting identified therapy goals and in engaging young children, and whether the system is easy for therapists to use and is accepted by children and parents as a positive component for therapy. Of children with physical disabilities, many require ongoing physical and occupational therapy to optimize their movement capabilities in order for them to participate in family, school and recreational activities. The most common neurological disorders of the brain, which impact the physical ability of children are cerebral palsy, brain injury and stroke. This project will develop activities using a therapeutic toy robot, CosmoBot, to facilitate motor development and functional mobility of young children with movement impairments. Therapists in two locations will test the CosmoBot in order to evaluate how easy the system is to use, how much it appeals to the children, and whether it is effective in targeting therapy goals.