Design of a Mobile, Inexpensive Device for Upper Extremity Rehabilitation at Home

Chronic stroke survivors lack sufficient outpatient therapy, despite indications that more therapy at the chronic stage can restore some function. Both insurance and physical constraints on therapists prevent training in the home, most likely where this activity would take place. Nevertheless, this gap reveals a promising application for robots, low-cost home care. A robot designed for home use needs to be inexpensive, portable and safe. Earlier, we have explored a type of compliant variable transmission known as the MARIONET (Moment arm Adjustment for Remote Induction Of Net Effective Torque). The proof-of-concept, behaving similar to a rotary Series Elastic Actuator, has been found suitable for low-cost, light weight applications. This paper discusses further analysis of the single-joint MARIONET and proposes the design for the new planar, upper extremity two-joint manipulandum for clinical and home use.