Immersive user environments in rehabilitation robotics and mechatronics

Advances in software, computing, control architectures, and design practice have led to rehabilitation robots with high-bandwidth, bidirectional user interfaces that allow people to interact with mechatronic systems in highly realistic, cognitively and biomechanically coupled scenarios. Immersive and graphic interfaces to real-time systems such as robots require, robust control environments and high-speed computing to provide safe, human-scale motions and interfaces with sufficient quality to be usable in functional environments. This paper illustrates some emerging applications in rehabilitation, spanning assistive technology, simulation/design aids, and smart therapy devices. Examples will be drawn laregly from work done at the VA Palo Alto Rehabilitation R&D Center.