Robot-assisted rehabilitation

Each year, millions of people suffer from strokes. Among the survivors, paralysis is one of the most common disabilities. The paralysis is usually on the side of the body opposite to the side of the brain damaged by stroke, and may affect the face, an arm, a leg, or the entire side of the body. This one-sided paralysis is called hemiplegia (one-sided weakness is called hemiparesis). Stroke patients with hemiparesis or hemiplegia may have difficulty with everyday activities such as walking or grasping objects.

Currently, physical therapists take advantage of the ability of the brain to adapt, change and take over (some of) the functions from the part of the brain that suffered a stroke. When the patient has no movement at all in his arm, the therapist actively helps the patient to move the arm repeatedly. From the point where the patient regains some movement in his arm, he will perform exercises without physical assistance from the therapist.

The use of robots seems almost logical given the repetitive nature of these exercises. World-wide, universities and research facilities are now conducting research on how to implement robotics in the field of neuro rehabilitation.

The ability of the HapticMASTER to support the weight of the arm and the fact that it is force-controlled and fully programmable makes this robot popular among many universities conducting research in the field of robot-assisted rehabilitation.