Abstract
BackgroundAlthough there is a great deal of success in rehabilitative robotics applied to patient recovery post stroke, most of the research to date has dealt with providing physical assistance. However, new rehabilitation studies support the theory that not all therapy need be hands-on. We describe a new area, called socially assistive robotics, that focuses on non-contact patient/user assistance. We demonstrate the approach with an implemented and tested post-stroke recovery robot and discuss its potential for effectiveness.ResultsWe describe a pilot study involving an autonomous assistive mobile robot that aids stroke patient rehabilitation by providing monitoring, encouragement, and reminders. The robot navigates autonomously, monitors the patient's arm activity, and helps the patient remember to follow a rehabilitation program. We also show preliminary results from a follow-up study that focused on the role of robot physical embodiment in a rehabilitation context.ConclusionWe outline and discuss future experimental designs and factors toward the development of effective socially assistive post-stroke rehabilitation robots.
Highlights
There is a great deal of success in rehabilitative robotics applied to patient recovery post stroke, most of the research to date has dealt with providing physical assistance
We have performed pilot studies examining the effects of Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) modalities on post-stroke therapy performance, and methods for user modeling involving motion capture
Male participants generally preferred the female voices, and vice versa. This is in contrast to work in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) that showed users consistently preferring a male over female voice in a non-assistive setting [21], illustrating how the assistive setting presents an entirely novel set of biases and challenges for HRI research
Summary
There is a great deal of success in rehabilitative robotics applied to patient recovery post stroke, most of the research to date has dealt with providing physical assistance. Stroke is a major cause of neurological disability. Most of those affected are left with some loss of movement. Through concerted use and training of the affected limb during the critical post-stroke period, such disability can be significantly reduced [1]. Evidence shows that the intensity and frequency of focused therapy can improve functional outcomes [2]. Since such rehabilitation normally requires supervision of trained professionals, lack of resources limits the amount of time available for supervised rehabilitation. The quality of life of patients post stroke is dramatically reduced, and medical costs and lost productivity continue to be incurred
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
