Human-Robot Collaborative Caring System

Rehabilitation-Purposed No-Direct-Contact Collaborative Robotic System For Stroke Patients

According to the Ministry of Health, stroke has become the first cause of death and disability in China. Due to the large population base and limited medical resources in China, the assistance of robotic arms in therapy has great development prospects. However, most of the robotic arms available in the market are designed with end-point traction, which overlooks a crucial aspect: the emotional needs of patients. While the end-point traction robotic arms directly interact with the patient's limbs to assist them in completing rehabilitation exercises, they can be monotonous and easily lead to patient overreliance. Additionally, when faced with cold instruments and repetitive rehabilitation treatments, patients may experience a sense of social inferiority, which can significantly impact their reintegration into society.

Therefore, we propose the NDCC project. Through a gamified and non-contact robotic arm-assisted rehabilitation approach, we aim to improve the post-stroke rehabilitation experience to the maximum extent possible. The gamified design helps alleviate cognitive barriers for patients and makes the entire treatment process more enjoyable. The non-contact robotic arm-assisted design enables patients to be more proactive and gives the robotic arm a more human-like quality. In our system, patients and the robotic arm are no longer in a simple dependency relationship but rather work together as teammates to overcome challenges.

Demo Video

Credits

Wenxuan Cheng

Liyan Wei

Hiu Tung Chan

Zhenzhen Luo

Yu Mo Kit