Virtual Multi-Interaction for Rehabilitation Robotics

This article is to develop an intelligent exoskeleton to support the wearable, interactive and customizable path on the rehabilitation needs of falling foot. In collaboration with engineers and doctors from Milan and Beijing, it is to realize an active device that performs function adapting perfectly to the anatomical characteristics of each subject, and it would supply greater possibilities and flexibility. Traditional devices are passive rigid orthoses (AFO) and active peroneal stimulation systems (FES). Although simple and cheap, AFO system can bring about phenomena of adaptation at the central level that gradually decrease muscle activity over time. More is the stiffness in the path. FES devices ensure a more natural movement of the foot but without control autonomy. Moreover, the efficiency is always limited with high costs. According analysis of the path, anatomy and biomechanics of the calf, considering combination of sensing and interaction technologies and devices, it focuses on using MEMS inertial sensors and force sensors to make a fusion and measure state of the calf's motion and attitude. It also uses 3D printing to construct lightweight and customable structures. The mobile device is used as local center to transfer data and feedback with Bluetooth and Internet, to give instruction and detect emotion with voice. Virtual Reality is used to build training scenes combined with rehabilitation plan, connections and feedbacks are also built between vision and motion states to form closed loop control. It expounds system construction, virtual scene construction, control method design, system tests, etc. according rehabilitation application, and preliminary application data indicates that the whole system works well with low cost and high efficiency.