ARMin - Exoskeleton for Arm Therapy in Stroke Patients

Abstract

Task-oriented repetitive movement can improve movement performance in patients with neurological lesions. The application of robotics can serve to assist, enhance, evaluate and document rehabilitation of movements. ARMin is a robot for arm therapy applicable to the arm training in clinics. It has an exoskeleton structure and is equipped with position and force sensors. Our latest version ARMin II has six degrees of freedom. The mechanical structure, the actuators, and the sensors of the robot are optimized for patient-cooperative control strategies based on impedance and admittance architectures. The device can work in three therapy modes: passive mobilization, game therapy, and task-oriented training. This paper presents the technical components of the new version ARMin II, the therapy modes, the control strategy for a new example of a game therapy, and clinical results of a pilot study with 11 chronic stroke patients and of single case studies conducted with three chronic stroke patients.