Rehabilitation medical robots represent not only the cutting edge of current robotic research but also an interdisciplinary field that integrates automatic control, computer science, intelligent instrumentation, mechanics, rehabilitation medicine, and neuroscience. As a relatively new discipline, the study of these robots holds significant scientific value. Based on the needs of upper limb rehabilitation training, the author has developed a force feedback-based upper limb rehabilitation system using STM32 as the core controller. When designing the control system, ensuring safety and stability is the fundamental principle. To prevent secondary injuries to the affected limb in emergencies, the system typically limits the force between the robot's end-effector and the patient’s limb. After experimental validation, the system demonstrates a well-designed structure and stable performance, enabling smooth control of the rehabilitation robot. The force feedback feature effectively stimulates the patient’s remaining motor function while maintaining system safety.
**1. Upper Limb Rehabilitation Robot System**
The robotic arm of the upper limb rehabilitation robot is symmetrically arranged around an axis, allowing it to perform repeated arc motions. It can be controlled via a computer or directly operated by a therapist to guide the patient through training sessions. Figure 1 shows the design of the upper limb rehabilitation robot.
Figure 1: Single-degree-of-freedom upper limb rehabilitation training robot
The robot system consists of several key components, including the mechanical structure of the arm, motor, position sensor, torque sensor, motor driver, robot controller, and host computer. The system block diagram is illustrated in Figure 2. The torque sensor, motor, and position sensor are aligned along the arm’s axis. The position sensor detects the movement angle of the robotic arm, while the torque sensor measures the interaction force between the patient and the robot. It provides additional assistance when the patient lacks initiative and reduces support when the patient can complete the task independently. In some cases, resistance is applied to fully engage the patient’s residual abilities. The motor driver generates assisting or damping forces during training, controlling the movement of the robotic arm and the affected limb.
Figure 2: Single-degree-of-freedom upper limb rehabilitation training robot system block diagram
The robot controller communicates with the host computer via a USB interface. On one hand, it receives control commands from the host computer and sends them to the motor driver. On the other hand, it collects data from the torque and position sensors and transmits it back to the host computer. The rehabilitation physician can then analyze and evaluate the patient’s progress based on the real-time data displayed on the human-computer interface. This enables precise monitoring and adjustment of the rehabilitation process, making the system both effective and user-friendly.Gaming ATX Power,High Efficiency Game ATX Power,180W 1U Flex computer psu
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