Bimanual Robotic Rehabilitation System with Variable Interaction Modes

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project proposes a bimanual robotic rehabilitation system, named BiArm , for stroke survivors who experience hemiparesis - weakness on one side of the body. The system is comprised of two special three-dimensional robotic arms designed to interact through forces with people over large reachable workspaces, reacting with feather-touch forces in addition to gravity- offsetting forces. The terminus of each of the robotic arms is attached either to the forearm or wrist of a subject via a cuff. Forces are then imparted by the robotic arm via the cuff in the full three-dimensional space surrounding the patient, allowing a range of full-motion functional activities that thepatient can complete in a virtual environment generated by the robotic arms. Coordinated two-armed activities of daily living (ADL) can include lifting large virtual boxes onto virtual shelves, balancing virtual two-handle trays supporting an uneven