Sensory-Rich, Meaningful and Usable Upper-Limb Robotic Rehabilitation

Abstract

Robotic devices, in combination with virtual reality games, have the potential to increase therapy dosage while enhancing patient’s motivation. Yet, current robotic interventions suffer from poor usability, over-reliance on the availability of trained therapists, and the inability to provide meaningful somatosensory information despite its importance for relearning skillful movements. To address this gap, we co-created two novel haptic rehabilitation robots for in-clinic and in-home rehabilitation capable of high-fidelity haptic rendering during functional reach and grasp training in motivating virtual games together with rehabilitation experts. We evaluated the usability of our solutions with therapists and patients following a mixed-methods approach, gathering quantitative and qualitative data from questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The results showed good usability and high enjoyment, with the fidelity of virtual object interactions highly praised. Some mechanical design improvements, mainly with regard to comfort, were also identified. Our devices offer naturalistic sensations during training, paving the way for more holistic sensorimotor neurorehabilitation.