Robot aided rehabilitation system for gait training of stroke patients

Abstract

Millions of people have suffered disabilities and handicaps including difficulties of gait due to stroke. Traditionally, treatment options for hemiplegia have been manual physical and occupational therapy. This is labor-intensive and the effectiveness of treatment is dependent on the ability and competence of the therapist. It takes times for improvement of their proficiency. In addition, It is depend on personal judgment to make a decision of degree of treatment. However, Devices can provide reproducible robotic manipulation and objectively quantifiable measurements. Recently, a number of studies suggest that robot aided neurorehabilitation program influences the motor outcome favorably in patients with many neurological diseases. Also these data present that robotic sensorimotor training system added to a traditional rehabilitation program improved neurologic deficit and functional disability, compared with control patients. This presents an opportunity to create new technological solutions to the problems of manual exercise therapy.