Robotic machines are often used to exercise and rehabilitate patients’ limbs after a stroke. But before the machines can effectively interact with people, they must be “trained” using a simulated limb that is as close to the real thing as possible. The University of Waterloo’s John McPhee and Borna Ghannadi have created a musculoskeletal model of the human arm that moves the way we do. The researchers worked in partnership with Quanser, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, Maplesoft, and Grand River Hospital. The arm is helping these scientists design robotic rehabilitation machines that sense a patient’s needs and adjust accordingly.
Smarter and more effective rehabilitation robots could improve recovery for tens of thousands of Canadians who suffer from stroke every year.
