Control strategies for a split-wheel car-steering simulator for upper limb stroke therapy

The need for effective and low-cost ways of facilitating upper limb therapy for individuals recovering from stroke has led to the Driver´s Simulation Environment for Arm Therapy (Driver´s SEAT). This assistive device is an upper limb one-degree-of-freedom robotic therapy device that incorporates a modified PC-based driving simulator. This paper describes the novel use of a driving simulator to implement an upper limb bimanual exercise task and presents control algorithms that use torque feedback as a method of encouraging the preferential use of one limb over another. The key feature is a split steering wheel, which allows us to measure the tangential forces applied to the wheel by the subjects´ impaired and unimpaired upper limbs independently. We present experimental results to show Driver´s SEAT´s ability to measure bilateral forces and quantify tracking performance