Design of a Robotic Device for Effective Shoulder Rehabilitation

Abstract

This paper presents a low-cost robotic device for shoulder rehabilitation, which is capable of treating various shoulder disabilities. A 3-DOF passive shoulder joint tracking module was designed to allow for translational motion of the shoulder joint center during arm swing, which is essential for natural shoulder movement. The weight of the user's arm and the device were compensated for by springs, to enable gravity-free shoulder motion. In order to reduce the device's cost, only one actuator was used, which can be aligned with the user's shoulder joint in various orientations. The device is capable of implementing five representative shoulder motions, including flexion/extension, abduction/adduction, horizontal abd/adduction, internal/external rotation, and oblique raise. The proposed low-cost shoulder rehabilitation robot is expected to provide effective rehabilitation for patients with various shoulder impairments.