Enhanced TheraJoy technology for use in upper-extremity stroke rehabilitation

Due to rising costs of health care and decreasing length of conventional therapy, it has become imperative to develop affordable, motivating devices that can be used in the home for upper-extremity stroke rehabilitation. In the TheraJoy project, a commercial joystick has been modified to enlarge the range of arm movement used during therapeutic movement tasks, and to support the application of light passive and actuated forces. The enhanced version presented here allows for motion in both the horizontal and vertical planes, uses a dynamic linkage model to map joystick-hand position and force data, uses motivating gaming technology, and can be used in both therapy and in home settings. This study compares performance and benefits of motion in the horizontal to vertical plane, evaluates user performance during assessment and therapy tasks, and documents user opinions of potential uses of this technology for stroke rehabilitation.