Novel self-adaptive and multimodal robotic rehabilitation systems in controlled support environments

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• Description:

 SPLASH concept lies in a novel concept to investigate how to perform rehabilitation therapies assisted by robotic devices immersed in a tank of water controlling and changing the water environment and providing focal water-jet stimulation along the therapy session (see Figure 1). Also, this new concept of therapies takes advantage of the human into the loop approach, which adapts the therapy taking into account the patient’s intention, action, state, as well as environmental factors. This challenging proposal requires to investigate on: i) understanding and measuring objectively the physiologic and biological effects produced by the immersion of the human body in water changing its physical properties and the human body responses to the use of different stimulation techniques using water as stimulation channel ii) the theoretical framework, the design principles and the control algorithms of a radically novel hybrid actuation systems exploiting the properties of the aquatic medium to get actuator systems more efficient and lighter than any of the current actuators technologies; iii) novel rehabilitation robotic devices for upper and lower limbs to be used in water immersion optimizing their design to achieve the most appropriate human-robot interaction under different motions, loads and environment conditions iv) novel intelligent control algorithms based on the human in the loop concept. They will account for the user’s motor abilities and specific needs, intentions and general physiological state in the current environment and activities in order to perform the most appropriate rehabilitation treatment by modifying the exercise parameters, the assistance provided by the robotic device, the physical properties of water and the focal water jet stimulation.

• Funder:

 State Investigation Agency

• Reference:

 PID2019-108310RB-I00

• Start date:

 01/06/2020

• End date:

 31/05/2023

• PI:

 García Aracil, Nicolas Manuel

• Financing

 161.293,00 €

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