Robot-Aided Wrist Rehabilitation After Stroke

The goal of this research is to extend robotic therapy to wrist rotations using a novel, 3-degree-of-freedom robotic therapy device for the wrist. This robot is capable of tracking, guiding, and perturbing a person’s wrist rotations while he/she performs a set of virtual tasks. The first stage of this project consists of establishing a quantitative foundation of wrist motion in unimpaired subjects by examining stereotypical kinematic patterns, coordinative strategies, and the effect of random disturbances. With this foundation, we will test whether (and how) a program of robotic wrist rotation training benefits stroke victims.