Prototype development of bilateral arm mirror-like-robotic rehabilitation device for acute stroke patients

During the early six months after the onset of a stroke, patients usually remain disabled with limbs weakness and need intensive rehabilitation. An increased number of stroke patients is countered with a reduced number of physical therapists. The development of medical robots to substitute therapists' work should be helpful. We developed a prototype of a bilateral arm mirror-like-robotic rehabilitation device covering the shoulder to the elbow as a 4-degrees of freedom (DOF). The device was operated by gripping the patient's arm or forearm. The motor for arm movement and point of force was calculated from static and dynamic. A developed microcontroller drove the assistive control system to regulate the movement of a robotic arm by getting the position of the normal arm's movement to control the weak arm's movement position. The prototype was built with an operation control system and tested in acute stroke patients. The effectiveness of rehabilitation using developed robots was assessed and compared with the conventional training group. Patients with either left or right arm paresis can practice with the device. They can safely train the weakened arm by using the normal arm as a working model. A bilateral robot was designed to be easy to use, lightweight, and compact size. Patients can use the device regularly for rehabilitation training, even at home.