Wearable Haptic Device For Proprioceptive Rehabilitation

Abstract

Proprioceptive Rehabilitation Is An Important Part Of Restoring Motor Coordination And Proprioceptive Awareness In People With Neuromuscular Disorders, After Stroke, and With Musculoskeletal Injuries. Conventional Rehabilitation Techniques Fail To Provide Feedback in Real Time, Which Restricts Their Benefits. This Work Introduces The Wearable Haptic Device For Proprioceptive Rehabilitation (WHD-PR), Which Improves Therapy Delivery Incorporating Force-sensitive Sensors, vibrotactile Feedback, And Graphical Representation. It Includes Five Force Sensors On The Fingers Where The Force Experienced Is Sensed And Sent Through Voltage-controlled Vibrations On the Arm That Is Proportional To The Force. Signal Noise Is Reduced With Transistors, LCDs Showcase Real-time Values Of Forces, while Integration With LabVIEW Allows Haptic Responses To Be Graphically Visualized, Enabling Better Therapy Analysis. Integrating These Two Modalities With Body-worn Sensors, This Low-cost Device Weighs Only 112 Gm And Is Effective For Use In Clinic And Home, While Providing Automated Feedback-loop Control To Improve Motor Recovery And Therapy Delivery.

Keywords