An Improved Adaptive Robotic Assistance Methodology for Upper-Limb Rehabilitation

Abstract

In this work, we propose an improved version of our algorithm for real-time robotic assistance tuning in robot-based therapy with any kind of active device for upper-limb rehabilitation. In particular, the work describes in detail how to extract accurate performance indices from the subject’s execution, and how to correlate them with the amount of assistance to be correspondingly provided over time. The algorithm also aims at enhancing subject’s efforts for a more effective recovery, tailoring the therapy to the patient without prior knowledge of his/her clinical status. Finally, an assessment phase illustrates the effectiveness of the procedure, showing how the system tunes the assistance required by the subjects to perform specific tasks.