This project aims to develop RobHand robot, a new robot for hand rehabilitation, through active therapies, for patients who have neuromotor disability due to a Vascular Brain Accident. It is an exoskeleton type robot, conceived to provide active therapies related to the rehabilitation of hand grip and pronation / supination of the forearm. This robotic device will allow the development of adequate motor control to achieve a "fine" manipulation of the objects, adapted to the different grip strategies that each patient can implement. The aim of this new design is to provide a more complete rehabilitation platform, adaptable to patients with a greater number of deficiencies thanks to an improvement in several areas: improvement in the mechanical structure, making it "transparent", improving control haptic to provide assistance tailored to the needs of the patient, improving the design and implementation of virtual environments for therapies, so that they are motivating and friendly.

 

The specific objectives of the project are:

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1. Development of a new control system for robotic devices for rehabilitation of the hand, exoskeleton type, which integrates haptic and visual feedback, in order to "adapt" on-line the degree of assistance delivered by the robotic device to the patient when he performs a task of rehabilitation, paradigm that is known in the Anglo-Saxon terminology as "assistance as needed". RobHand will incorporate a set of novel rehabilitation therapies, accompanied by virtual environments, with varying degrees of difficulty, and adaptable to the patient's capabilities. The level of demand for these rehabilitation therapies will be initially calibrated according to the patient's range of mobility, thus increasing and optimally enhancing the patient's psychomotor abilities. The visual feedback, combined with the playful and novel character of the rehabilitation therapies, will provide a motivation to the patient that will imply a greater involvement of the same, to continue with the therapies.

 

2. The "assisted as needed" paradigm allows regulating the degree of assistance that the rehabilitation robot must provide (on-line) to the patient during the performance of a therapy. The regulation is done by measuring the force that the patient exerts on the robot, using force / torque sensors.

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3. Development of information management systems for processing and analysis of variables obtained during rehabilitation therapy (kinematic variables, dynamics, punctuation, successes, failures, ...). This information will allow to obtain automatically and quantified a set of data, from which and from their own knowledge and experience, the physiotherapist will be able to discern if the patient has improved on the basis of a greater evidence than has at this moment . This system will provide support for the clinical decision to the therapist, allowing their decisions not only to be based on their experience or intuition, but also based on scientific evidence obtained from data obtained during the monitoring of rehabilitation therapy.​

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4. Development, construction and implantation of a prototype of robotic device (demonstrator) haptic active for maintenance and neuromotor rehabilitation of the hand in patients with neuromotor disability motivated by acquired brain damage (traumatic brain injury - TBI, cerebrovascular accident - ACV). In this robotic device, the control systems with haptic and visual feedback, previously indicated, will be integrated.

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5. Clinical tests with RobHand, with patients in healthcare and clinical settings and in real life conditions. RobHand will be validated through tests specifically designed for each type of patient and for each type of therapy required. It is important to evaluate the effectiveness and clinical relevance of the robotized device developed, for which a medical qualification is essential, and therefore, this project is counted on with the participation of the Cruz del Sur Leones Club Rehabilitation Corporation, a center in which will perform these clinical tests.

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6. Evaluation of usability and satisfaction with the rehabilitation robot using specific methods and techniques. The adequacy of the design must be measured and evaluated and, in an iterative way, the errors must be corrected and the necessary improvements incorporated, until a product that provides a positive experience to the user is obtained. Usability refers to the ability of software to be understood, learned, used and attractive to the user under specific conditions of use (ISO 9126-1, 2001), allowing specific users to achieve specific goals with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a context of specific use (ISO 9241-11, 1998). The evaluation of usability, therefore, is a key aspect in the design of software products and there are different methods to carry out this task. In addition, to obtain a good design and ensure its relevance and effectiveness in meeting numerous requirements -especially those of users-, it is not enough to make sure that the designs are usable, the products must also respond to the needs and desires of the users. users taking into account their limitations and contexts of use.

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7. Development of training materials for the use of RobHand by health professionals. Prior to the beginning of the intervention process (clinical tests), each therapist responsible for application centers must receive training (course) on the use of the software and the use of the robot.