Cable-Driven Robots for Physical Rehabilitation: From Lab to Patients Use
摘要
Rehabilitation science demonstrates that repetitive limb movements support the recovery of function in an injured limb, and robots can play a key role in facilitating this process. Various mechanical systems are employed in movement rehabilitation, and this chapter focuses on the use of cable-driven robots in physical therapy. For the design of cable-driven robots it is necessary to know the movements of the upper and lower limbs, briefly described in this chapter. The cable-driven robots for physical rehabilitation described in this chapter are under development at the Automation and Robotics Laboratory of the Federal University of Uberlandia in Brazil. Cable-driven manipulators are composed of a movable platform and a fixed platform, interconnected by multiple tensioned cables that can extend or retract. The prototypes developed are described, including experimental test for upper and lower limb rehabilitation movements with patients. Finally, this chapter outlines challenges and open issues to future research directions for developing cable-driven rehabilitation robots.