NEUROExos: A powered elbow orthosis for post-stroke early neurorehabilitation

This paper presents the development of a portable version of the robotic elbow exoskeleton NEUROExos, designed for the treatment of stroke survivors in acute/sub-acute phases. The design was improved by a novel Series Elastic Actuation (SEA) system. The system implements two control modalities: a near-zero output impedance torque control and a passive-compliance position control.

[1]  Nicola Vitiello,et al.  Human–Robot Synchrony: Flexible Assistance Using Adaptive Oscillators , 2011, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering.

[2]  Frans C. T. van der Helm,et al.  Design of a Rotational Hydroelastic Actuator for a Powered Exoskeleton for Upper Limb Rehabilitation , 2010, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering.

[3]  Nicola Vitiello,et al.  NEUROExos: A Powered Elbow Exoskeleton for Physical Rehabilitation , 2013, IEEE Transactions on Robotics.

[4]  Maarten J. IJzerman,et al.  Systematic review of the effect of robot-aided therapy on recovery of the hemiparetic arm after stroke. , 2006, Journal of rehabilitation research and development.

[5]  Francesco Giovacchini,et al.  Mechatronic Design and Characterization of the Index Finger Module of a Hand Exoskeleton for Post-Stroke Rehabilitation , 2012, IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics.

[6]  Matthew M. Williamson,et al.  Series elastic actuators , 1995, Proceedings 1995 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems. Human Robot Interaction and Cooperative Robots.

[7]  T. Elbert,et al.  New treatments in neurorehabiliation founded on basic research , 2002, Nature Reviews Neuroscience.

[8]  Norimasa Yamada,et al.  Modulation of elbow joint stiffness in a vertical plane during cyclic movement at lower or higher frequencies than natural frequency , 2003, Experimental Brain Research.

[9]  Wilgo Moreira Nunes,et al.  Cable-based parallel manipulator for rehabilitation of shoulder and elbow movements , 2011, 2011 IEEE International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics.

[10]  Marco Cempini,et al.  Self-Alignment Mechanisms for Assistive Wearable Robots: A Kinetostatic Compatibility Method , 2013, IEEE Transactions on Robotics.

[11]  Frans C. T. van der Helm,et al.  A Series Elastic- and Bowden-Cable-Based Actuation System for Use as Torque Actuator in Exoskeleton-Type Robots , 2006, Int. J. Robotics Res..

[12]  N. Hogan,et al.  Robot-aided neurorehabilitation. , 1998, IEEE transactions on rehabilitation engineering : a publication of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society.

[13]  Nicola Vitiello,et al.  A sensorless torque control for Antagonistic Driven Compliant Joints , 2010 .

[14]  J. Krakauer.  Motor learning: its relevance to stroke recovery and neurorehabilitation. , 2006, Current opinion in neurology.

[15]  P. Langhorne,et al.  Stroke rehabilitation , 2011, The Lancet.

[16]  Nicola Vitiello,et al.  NEUROExos: A variable impedance powered elbow exoskeleton , 2011, 2011 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation.

[17]  Julie Bernhardt,et al.  Very early versus delayed mobilisation after stroke. , 2009, The Cochrane database of systematic reviews.

[18]  David J. Reinkensmeyer,et al.  Optimization of a Parallel Shoulder Mechanism to Achieve a High-Force, Low-Mass, Robotic-Arm Exoskeleton , 2010, IEEE Transactions on Robotics.

[19]  Francesco Giovacchini,et al.  Measuring human-robot interaction on wearable robots: A distributed approach , 2011 .

[20]  S.J. Ball,et al.  MEDARM: a rehabilitation robot with 5DOF at the shoulder complex , 2007, 2007 IEEE/ASME international conference on advanced intelligent mechatronics.

[21]  Robert Riener,et al.  ARMin: a robot for patient-cooperative arm therapy , 2007, Medical & Biological Engineering & Computing.

[22]  P. Celnik,et al.  Stroke Rehabilitation. , 2015, Physical medicine and rehabilitation clinics of North America.

[23]  P. Gallina,et al.  Design of a new 5 d.o.f. wire-based robot for rehabilitation , 2005, 9th International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics, 2005. ICORR 2005..

[24]  Simona Crea,et al.  A Flexible Sensor Technology for the Distributed Measurement of Interaction Pressure , 2013, Sensors.

[25]  Nicola Vitiello,et al.  Intention-Based EMG Control for Powered Exoskeletons , 2012, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering.

[26]  M. Levin,et al.  Kinematic features of arm and trunk movements in stroke patients and age-matched healthy controls during reaching in virtual and physical environments , 2009, 2009 Virtual Rehabilitation International Conference.

[27]  E. Guglielmelli,et al.  Design and characterization of a compact rotary Series Elastic Actuator for knee assistance during overground walking , 2012, 2012 4th IEEE RAS & EMBS International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics (BioRob).

[28]  R. Zorowitz,et al.  Shoulder pain and subluxation after stroke: correlation or coincidence? , 1996, The American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association.