52 lines
3.2 KiB
Plaintext
52 lines
3.2 KiB
Plaintext
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ROBOTICS FOR REHABILITATION
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from Epitomes-Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
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The Western Journal of Medicine August 1988 pp 205-206
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Computer-based, voice-controlled robots can enhance the quality of life for a
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person with high-level quadriplegia, particularly with an injury above the
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level of C-5 to C-6. Using robots can provide greater control over a person's
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physical environment, expand avocational and vocational horizons, reduce the
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expense of attendant care, and improve self-esteem.
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Rehabilitation robotics began evolving in the early 1960s with Case Institute
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of Technology's (Cleveland) computerized orthoses. In the early 1970s, the
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University of Heidelberg developed an industrial manipulator and minicomputer
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through which a keyboard controlled by a telephone, typewriter, or a custom
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mouth-stick could be used for vocational purposes by handicapped persons.
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In 1981 the Johns Hopkins University's applied physics laboratory designed
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more advanced robotic system permitting perprogrammed manipulation sequences
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for tasks such as retrieving books and serving food. The French Spartacus
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robotic aid made other contributions to the evolution of the field of robotics.
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During the past eight years, the Stanford University and the Veterans
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Administration Rehabilitation Engineering and Research Center, in collaboration
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with the Spinal Cord Injury Center, have explored through a number of projects
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the potential use of robots as assisting devices for severely disabled persons.
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A wide range of users successfully commanded a robot to perform preprogrammed
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self-care tasks such as providing drinking water, grooming the hair, brushing
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teeth, and cleaning t#e face. A third-generation desktop robotic assistant
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has already been developed and clinically evaluated for persons with high
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level quadriplegia. Advances in speech-recognition technology and commercial
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computer hardware and software have significantly augmented the uses of the
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system PUMA-260 robot manipulator. Efforts are currently being directed to
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develop a desktop system that would be useful for a skilled computer scientist
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in an office setting. The most recent developments in progress include a
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controlled mobile manipulator consisting of a commercial robotic arm equipped
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with sensors and mounted on an omnidirectional vehicle, useful to a handi-
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capped person confined to a bed or wheelchair.
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Ordinarily no knowledge of computer programming in required to operate the
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robotic arm; the on-board microprocessor is preprogrammed by a therapist to
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perform complex tasks in response to one or two commands from the user.
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Inder Perkash, M.D.
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Palo Alto, California
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REFERENCES
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Awad RE, Engelhardt KG, Leifer LJ: 1983 Development of Training Procedures
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for an Interactive Voice-Controlled Robotic Aid. Proceedings of the Rehab-
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ilitation Engineering Society of North America's 6th Annual Conference, San
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Diego, 1983, pp 276-278
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Seamone W, Schmeisser G: Early clinical evaluation of a robot arm/worktable
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system for spinal-cord injured persons. J Rehabil Res Dev 1985;22:38-57.
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