Rehabilitation Robots, Their Applications, and Various Rehabilitation Robotic Paradigms for Use in Homes, Clinics, and Hospitals

 


Rehabilitation robots, also known as mobility and autonomy robots, are machines, which help patients with partial or total paralysis to regain their ability to move or perform activities of daily living. These robots are ideal for home healthcare and patient care. The robots can assist in daily tasks such as feeding, walking, or operating household appliances.

Rehabilitation robotics involves studying the body's rehabilitation processes to design robots that can help in such tasks as picking up a pen or a spoon, pushing a wheelchair or crutch, or picking up an object. In addition to this, rehabilitation robots can be programmed to perform certain tasks depending on the situation. There are several Rehabilitation Robotic Paradigms for use in homes, clinics, hospitals, and other medical centers. These robots are also offered on a rental basis in various countries such as Japan, China, and the U.S. The market is witnessing launch of new products as well. In October 2020, PTR Robots, a Danish service-robot company, launched its robot that can mobilize and transfer patients.

The first Paradigm, Neurorehabilitation, has focused on studying the development of amputees' motor skills and sensory pathways. This program has helped invent several different rehabilitation robots including a Robotic Arm and Leg System that were able to pick up an object and place it in the desired location; a Robotic Drum System that allow a drum-like autonomous unit to transfer sound from one area to another; and a Robotic Headset that are able to communicate with the user and train him or her to perform neurorehabilitation exercises. Several other technologies are in development that will help improve on these important systems.

The second Paradigm, Physical Removable Body System, has concentrated on studying how to design a rehabilitation robot to use the human limb movements of a paralyzed patient. A physical removable body system can include arm, legs, and torso to simulate natural movement. Although this technology is still in the early stages, several major benefits are being seen such as the possibility of using prosthetics to control prosthetic limbs and using body awareness to prevent further injury.

The third Paradigm, Human-Computer Interaction, has examined the relationship between neurorehabilitation and the interaction of a rehabilitation robot. This advanced technology is designed to work in conjunction with a human being and use real-life interaction to teach a paralyzed patient how to regain independent movement. One challenge in designing this type of rehabilitation robot is the study of how best to incorporate natural human movements with the artificial intelligence of a computer program. Researchers have explored the idea of integrating voice commands and hand movements into a computer-controlled unit. Another idea deals with how to allow a patient to control their computer interface with their own neural network. Several companies have also invested in business strategies that allow patients to control their rehabilitation robots from a distance.

The last Paradigm, Computer Numerical Control (CNC) was designed to examine how to integrate prosthetic arms with finger function. If successful, this will pave the way for prosthetics with natural finger function, like those found in bionic hands. The CNC rehabilitation robot assists with tasks such as grasping, pointing, and even writing. Although it cannot restore full hand function on its own, it does allow amputees to perform everyday activities. When fully developed, this software could allow a paralyzed person to perform all basic functions of daily living using prosthetic prosthetics.

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