Touching Virtual Shapes: Combining Kinesthetic and Tactile Feedback in a Single Haptic Device

Virtual training environments are powerful tools for various applications. To increase the immersion and realism of these environments, several devices have been developed capable of rendering a wide range of haptic sensations. As humans mainly interact with objects using their hands, the main focus of research has been on developing devices...

Trustworthy AI Assessment of Quality of movements in Trunk-control Rehabilitation exercises for children

Neurological disorders in the nervous and neuromuscular systems affect approximately 260 million people annually and among these 255 million would benefit from rehabilitation [4]. Patients with neurological disorders usually require multi-dimensional rehabilitation, involving physical, cognitive, psychological, and medical help. Children with...

Virtual environment and its ground surface can influence locomotion while being immersed in virtual reality

Immersive virtual reality (IVR) is an artificially designed environment that can be used to produce realistic and engaging environments which are being used actively in the field of healthcare through training and rehabilitation. The use of IVR nowadays ranges from training surgical operations in a safe environment to neurorehabilitation. IVR...

Design validation of the MATE tendon-based passive device for post-stroke rehabilitation

Rehabilitation robots have been shown to be effective in post-stroke gait rehabilitation. However, these devices are usually expensive and suffer from high inertia which decreases transparency. The Minimally Actuated Tendon-based exercise Environment (MATE) is a tendon-based rehabilitation device, designed to be cost-effective and minimize...

Using Model Predictive Control on a Steer-by-Wire Bicycle for Performance Assistance

Bicycle safety is quickly becoming an increasingly important field as the number of electric bicycles on the streets grows faster each year. E-bikes are able to accelerate quicker and travel at faster speeds than conventional bicycles, increasing the severity of injuries in case of an accident. There are a number of ways to improve safety, such...

Haptically Enhanced Motor Variability Shows Contrary Effects on Transfer of Learning

In order to improve skill acquisition and neurorehabilitation, we need to improve our understanding of human motor learning. It has been shown that innate variability of movements made by an individual when performing a motor task (motor variability) might enhance skill acquisition. Augmenting motor variability could therefore be a promising...

Kinematics analysis of an end-effector-based orthosis for the lower limb allowing for adduction and flexion

Rehabilitation robotics is a rapidly growing field in the engineering industry. Due to the high repeatability of motion, high therapy costs, and lack of proper quantitative assessment of patient status and progress, rehabilitation centers could benefit from the introduction of robotics. One such device already commercially available is the...

A MATE for post-stroke gait rehabilitation; design optimization of a minimally actuated tendon-based gait rehabilitation device

Robots can be powerful tools in post-stroke gait rehabilitation. However, state-of-the-art robots are often expensive machines containing rigid links with high inertia. Their expensiveness could limit their availability, and their high inertia reduces transparency, which could hinder rehabilitation progress. These factors raise the need for a...

EEG correlates in the modulation of joint stiffness during posture control of the upper limb

The ability to control and adapt joint stiffness is essential in human motor control. Both control loops on the spinal as well as cortical level are likely to play a role in this regulation. However, the cortical mechanisms involved with the online adaptive control of joint stiffness remain largely unresolved. This study aimed at identifying...