Ankle Rehabilitation Robotic Platform. Part B: Possible Constructive Solutions

Abstract

Traditional rehabilitation therapies use simple devices such as elastic bands and foam rollers. They also require the constant presence of a therapist. Rehabilitation exercises are long-lasting, repetitive and require effort from both the patient and the therapist. To counteract these disadvantages, high-performance robotic systems can be used for a complete recovery of the joint. However, the implementation of therapy assisted by robotic systems at the level of recuperative institutions is difficult, due to their high costs. Hence, the need to carry out research, in order to develop platforms with low cost, but with high functionality, which allow a complete recovery of the ankle joint, but also the monitoring of the patient's progress. Although the current literature notes a multitude of systems used in medical recovery, it can be said that at the moment there is no system that fully satisfies the patient's need for recovery and that does not face the previously mentioned technical problems. Consequently, the conception, development and implementation of rehabilitation platforms, adaptable to the patient's needs, are justified and will be the object of study of this work. In this paper, authors presented their work on the design of different constructive solutions of ankle rehabilitation platforms with two basis kinematics.