JODHPUR : The Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur researcher, Dr Jayant Kumar Mohanta, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering along with other co-researchers has designed robotic trainers that can be used in physiotherapy to treat lower limb disabilities. Limb disability is a serious malady among Indians, and is caused by age-related ailments, physical deformations, accidents, strokes, polio, etc. According to Census 2011, there are five million people with locomotor disabilities in India.
Lower limb rehabilitation, especially for gait recovery, is time consuming and sometimes involves multiple physiotherapists. Recently, there has been interest in designing robotic devices for lower limb rehabilitation. In robotic rehabilitation, the therapist only needs to provide supervision and the setting up of the device. The understanding gleaned from this research work has been shared in a paper (https://doi.org/10.1177/17298814221075184) in the International Journal of Advanced Robotic Systems.
Most existing robotic systems treat the patients by performing motions only in the sagittal plane – the imaginary plane that divides the body into the left and right parts. For complete limb movement, sagittal movement is not sufficient and movements in transverse (upper and lower body) and coronal (front and back) planes are also essential. The IIT Jodhpur researcher has proposed a robot manipulator arrangement that is capable of providing motion to the ankle in all three planes i.e., sagittal, transverse and coronal plane.
“Complete Rehabilitation is possible if the correct sequence of therapies is executed. Robots will be able to do it without getting tired.”, explained Dr Mohanta, Assistant Professor, IIT Jodhpur. The robotic trainer was a brace or a wearable device like an exoskeleton that supports the leg. It was provided with a Cartesian (3-directional) parallel manipulator to perform the required limb therapeutic motions in the transverse/horizontal/lateral and sagittal/longitudinal plane. The design ensured a large workspace to execute the required range of motion therapies.
The usefulness of the designed stationary trainer was confirmed using computer-based simulations along with a motion control scheme by performing various clinically suggested therapeutic passive range of motions. The design could execute important essential rehabilitation therapeutic movements like abduction (the motion of a limb or appendage away from the midline of the body), adduction (the motion of a limb or appendage towards the midline of the body), flexion (bending movement), and extension of the hip and knee joints
“The robotic trainer we have designed will help provide physiotherapy to paralytic patients, and for those who have spinal cord injuries that have disrupted their lower limb functions”, said the research lead. The trainer proposed by the IIT Jodhpur team is conceptually simple and has a modular mechanical configuration that is easy to fix and use. Furthermore, since only linear actuators are used for the hip and knee motions, the robot itself is stable, safe and robust during use.
Robotics is an interdisciplinary field that cuts across domains of software, control, mechanics, sensing and electronics. In order to meet this increasing demand for engineers with diverse backgrounds in the field of robotic and mobility systems, and to support relevant research and development, an MTech Programme in Robotics and Mobility System is designed by IIT Jodhpur. This program is offered by IDRP Robotics and Mobility Systems.
The proposed MTech programme will provide interdisciplinary learning opportunities to participate in one of the most challenging advanced technology areas. It is also envisaged that this programme will serve as a platform to test innovative ideas in the design, development, and testing of the Robotics and Mobility systems. Students from Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electrical and Communication Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Instrumentation and Control, Aerospace Engineering, Automobile Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering, Engineering Physics or Equivalent background are eligible to apply.
