An intelligent rehabilitation robotic systems for limb injury recovery

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The purpose of this research is to continue the development of an effective, safe, reliable and user-friendly therapeutic robot system that will complement the physical therapist. The system will keep objective track of the patient's progress while assisting with repetative training of stroke impairment. Integration of robotic therapy into current conventional therapy programs will increase the efficiency and effectiveness of therapists and/or reduce costs by alleviating the labour-intensive aspects of the physical rehabilitation. A pilot version of a therapeutic robotic system supported by an upper extremity bio-mechanical model has been developed. A key differentiating capability of our system is the support of five degrees of freedom (DOF) for the upper limb (3 DOF of the shoulder and 2 DOF of the elbow). The robotic system also has significant features that distinguish it from existing therapeutic robots such as MIT-MANUS, MIME and ARM Guide. This project will be used to enhance the capabilities of the current pilot version of the therapeutic robot to address its usability, acceptability, and safety. The project will continue the development and validation of the bio-mechanical model built earlier. Currently, the model supports the upper limb 5 DOF. The model will be expanded to include the lower limb rotational joints (2 DOF of the hip and 1 DOF of the knee). A hybrid fuzzy controller that incorporates a fuzzy logic and force controller in the current PID position control algorithms will be developed. It will make the robot respond to the patients' actions (active-passive therapy mode) and move smoothly and rapidly to comply with the users actions. The system safety requirements and all potential hazards associated with the use of the therapeutic robot (hardware, software, and human) will be investigated to design an effective safety system. The progress in this field will be important for Canada and can lead to generate new businesses and related new products that are required by the healthcare system worldwide.