Robot ‘coaches’ help guide self-managed rehabilitation programmes

The VITALISE international pilot study, led by the National Robotarium's Human Robot Interaction (HRI) team, has developed a system in which socially assistive robots communicate with a patient using a headset that detects the brain’s neural activity.

Developed in partnership with the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, the robot can process these signals to understand the user’s intended movement, thereby being able to provide real-time verbal motivation, visual mimicry, and feedback, as they complete specific movements.

The research aims to make it easier and more engaging for patients to adhere to their prescribed self-managed rehabilitation routines by providing personalised support based on their individual needs, cognitive capability, and exercise pace.

According to the National Robotarium researchers, around 80 per cent of acute stroke and brain injury survivors have an upper limb impairment, limiting the movement of the arm, which can often be long-term and has the potential to significantly affect an individual’s standard of independence.