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A Semi-passive Planar Manipulandum for Upper-Extremity Rehabilitation

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A Correction to this article was published on 19 July 2018

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Abstract

Robotic rehabilitation is a promising approach to treat individuals with neurological or orthopedic disorders. However, despite significant advancements in the field of rehabilitation robotics, this technology has found limited traction in clinical practice. A key reason for this issue is that most robots are expensive, bulky, and not scalable for in-home rehabilitation. Here, we introduce a semi-passive rehabilitation robot (SepaRRo) that uses controllable passive actuators (i.e., brakes) to provide controllable resistances at the end-effector over a large workspace in a manner that is cost-effective and safe for in-home use. We also validated the device through theoretical analyses, hardware experiments, and human subject experiments. We found that by including kinematic redundancies in the robot’s linkages, the device was able to provide controllable resistances to purely resist the movement of the end-effector, or to gently steer (i.e., perturb) its motion away from the intended path. When testing these capabilities on human subjects, we found that many of the upper-extremity muscles could be selectively targeted based on the forcefield prescribed to the user. These results indicate that SepaRRo could serve as a low-cost therapeutic tool for upper-extremity rehabilitation; however, further testing is required to evaluate its therapeutic benefits in patient population.

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Change history

  • 19 July 2018

    Authors would like to correct their acknowledgments. Correct acknowledgments appear here.

  • 19 July 2018

    Authors would like to correct their acknowledgments. Correct acknowledgments appear here.

  • 19 July 2018

    Authors would like to correct their acknowledgments. Correct acknowledgments appear here.

  • 19 July 2018

    Authors would like to correct their acknowledgments. Correct acknowledgments appear here.

  • 19 July 2018

    Authors would like to correct their acknowledgments. Correct acknowledgments appear here.

Abbreviations

SepaRRo:

Semi-passive rehabilitation robot

GUI:

Graphical user interface

NNLS:

Non-negative least squares

PWM:

Pulse width modulation

EMG:

Electromyography

MVC:

Maximum voluntary contraction

ANOVA:

Analysis of variance

PMC:

Pectoralis major (clavicular)

PMS:

Pectoralis major (sternal)

LD:

Latissimus dorsi

Delt:

Deltoid

BB:

Biceps brachii

BR:

Brachioradialis

TB:

Triceps brachii

WF:

Wrist flexors

WE:

Wrist extensors

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Acknowledgments

Research reported in this publication was supported by (1) National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) of the National Institutes of Health (Grant# R01-EB019834), (2) National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program under Grant No. DGE #1256260, and (3) the University of Michigan Office of Research (UMOR) MCubed 2.0 program. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funding agencies. A special thanks to Shannon Leon and Justin Lee for the work they did in building and programming the robot.

Conflict of interest

No benefits in any form have been or will be received from a commercial party related directly or indirectly to the subject of this manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neuromuscular and Rehabilitation Robotics Laboratory (NeuRRo Lab), Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Chih-Kang Chang, Edward P. Washabaugh, Andrew Gwozdziowski & Chandramouli Krishnan

  2. Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Edward P. Washabaugh & Chandramouli Krishnan

  3. RAM Lab, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    C. David Remy

  4. Michigan Robotics, College of Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    C. David Remy & Chandramouli Krishnan

Authors
  1. Chih-Kang Chang
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  2. Edward P. Washabaugh
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  4. C. David Remy
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  5. Chandramouli Krishnan
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Correspondence to Chandramouli Krishnan.

Additional information

Associate Editor Xiaoxiang Zheng oversaw the review of this article.

Chih-Kang Chang and Edward P. Washabaugh have equally contributed to this work.

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Chang, CK., Washabaugh, E.P., Gwozdziowski, A. et al. A Semi-passive Planar Manipulandum for Upper-Extremity Rehabilitation. Ann Biomed Eng 46, 1047–1065 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-018-2020-z

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