Adaptive Control of Soft Robots for Personalized Upper-limb Rehabilitation with Machine Learning

ACORN-PURM (AC) develops a next-generation upper-limb rehabilitation system that leverages adaptive control of soft robots and ML to provide personalized therapy based on individual patient needs, significantly improving user engagement and recovery outcomes.

Stroke, spinal cord injuries, and other neurological conditions cause upper-limb disabilities, affecting millions globally and leave them with impairment. It creates a significant burden on healthcare systems. Current rehabilitation approaches often lack personalization, leading to decreased motivation and suboptimal outcomes.

AC addresses this critical gap by developing an innovative solution that is: more engaging, data-driven, and patient-specific system that tailors therapy to individual needs, enhancing patient engagement and potentially accelerating recovery.

The system has the following unique features: Gamified exercises enhance motivation and adherence to therapy schedules, real-time adjustments based on user intent and fatigue levels optimize therapeutic benefit, soft robotics ensure patient comfort and safety during rehabilitation sessions.

Existing robot-assisted therapies are often rigid, uncomfortable, and lack real-time adjustments based on individual progress, offering one-size-fits-all approaches.

Relying heavily on subjective therapist evaluations for progress tracking can be repetitive and tedious, leading to patient dropout and possess limited ability to anticipate user intentions.

AC advances the field by 1) Developing Adaptive Controllers with ML that will adjust assistance levels based on individual real-time data for a truly personalized experience, 2) Utilizing DL for Advanced Movement Recognition and Assessment to analyze user data for objective assessment of subtle improvements and compensation strategies, 3) Creating gamified therapy with ML Integration to have engaging games that dynamically adjust difficulty and target specific user needs, promoting long-term engagement.