Mechanical Design and Analysis of the End-Effector Finger Rehabilitation Robot (EFRR) for Stroke Patients

Abstract

Most existing finger rehabilitation robots are structurally complex and cannot be adapted to multiple work conditions, such as clinical and home. In addition, there is a lack of attention to active adduction/abduction (A/A) movement, which prevents stroke patients from opening the joint in time and affects the rehabilitation process. In this paper, an end-effector finger rehabilitation robot (EFRR) with active A/A motion that can be applied to a variety of applications is proposed. First, the natural movement curve of the finger is analyzed, which is the basis of the mechanism design. Based on the working principle of the cam mechanism, the flexion/extension (F/E) movement module is designed and the details used to ensure the safety and reliability of the device are introduced. Then, a novel A/A movement module is proposed, using the components that can easily individualized design to achieve active A/A motion only by one single motor, which makes up for the shortcomings of the existing devices. As for the control system, a fuzzy proportional-derivative (PD) adaptive impedance control strategy based on the position information is proposed, which can make the device more compliant, avoid secondary injuries caused by excessive muscle tension, and protect the fingers effectively. Finally, some preliminary experiments of the prototype are reported, and the results shows that the EFRR has good performance, which lays the foundation for future work.

Interaction with a Hand Rehabilitation Exoskeleton in EMG-Driven Bilateral Therapy: Influence of Visual Biofeedback on the Users’ Performance

“…Robotic assistance devices are deployed in clinical settings as a rehabilitation tool with a special focus on arm function and gait [ 2 ]. There are two main categories based on their design [ 3 ]: end-effectors [ 4 , 5 ] and exoskeletons [ 6 , 7 , 8 ]. Additionally, they can also be classified according to training modality or assistance type: passive, assistive, active or resistive [ 9 ].…”

Preliminary study of a new macro‐micro robot system for dental implant surgery: Design, development and control

“…proposed an impedance control strategy for their cable‐driven dental drilling robot 37 . Further, Impedance control can also be expanded with parameter identification, 38 or fuzzy PID method 39 . However, most studies on force control mainly focus on the manual dragging or drilling, and there is little research work on implant inserting.…”

“…37 Further, Impedance control can also be expanded with parameter identification, 38 or fuzzy PID method. 39 However, most studies on force control mainly focus on the manual dragging or drilling, and there is little research work on implant inserting. Therefore, a specialised position/posture adjusting mechanism and the corresponding control strategy are needed, which is the main research objective of this work.…”

Autonomous Exercise Generator for Upper Extremity Rehabilitation: A Fuzzy-Logic-Based Approach

“…End-effectors have been in the scene for quite some time [12][13][14][15][16] showing promising results in the field of rehabilitation for the past two decades. Furthermore, new technologies continue to be adapted to these robots to improve their performance in replicating real-life therapy sessions [17][18][19][20][21]. Exoskeleton-type robots are the ones where the limb is attached to the end-effector in addition to multiple points along the robot.…”