An innovative personal training robot developed by the EU-funded Roger project is helping patients work through their inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation following an operation on their foot, knee, or hip.
- 18 September 2019
Roger the training robot will accompany rehabilitation patients during their running exercises and actively guide, observe, and correct them with the aid of their 3D spatial perception.
The robot picks the patient up from his or her room and accompanies them during their gait-training exercises. Roger provides constant monitoring of the patient via 3D sensors and provides instructions via a multimodal interface that consists of a screen, voice speaker, and projector. All communication with the patient is done through the robot’s speech output function. All progress, including daily running time and change in walking pattern, is recorded and documented.
Researchers are currently developing the software components of the robotic system and finalising the medical efficacy trials. According to researchers, the results of these tests will demonstrate the medical implications of robotic gait training on patients and the specific benefits this method has for patients, therapists, and clinics.
Augmenting therapeutic services
Once completed, the Roger project will have created an intelligent system for monitoring and improving post-orthopaedic surgery recovery. However, researchers point out that the Roger robot is by no means meant to replace human physical therapists. Instead, it augments the services provided by the physical therapists, allowing the therapist to focus more intensively on the hands-on phases of the treatment.
Crutches
Anyone who undergoes an orthopaedic operation on a foot, hip, or knee will likely spend some time walking on crutches. Unfortunately, many patients don’t use crutches correctly. All too often, this incorrect use will negatively impact on rehabilitation and the success of the operation itself.
Roger not only teaches the patient how to correctly use crutches, it also constantly monitors their use, recognises errors, and provides instant, verbal instructions on how to correct the error. All progress is documented and provided to the patient’s human therapist, who can evaluate the findings and adapt the training as needed.
Always at your side
Roger is premised on the belief that self-training is essential to a fast, effective recovery after orthopaedic surgery. However, self-training is only effective when gait and movement errors are corrected as they occur. Since it is simply impossible to have a therapist follow a patient around at all times, another solution was needed. Hence, Roger the robot.
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Künstliche Intelligenz aus dem Herzen ThüringensTotal investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Robot assisted gait training in orthopaedic rehabilitation (ROGER)” is EUR 545 133, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 436 106 through the “Thüringen” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Strengthening research infrastructure, technological development and innovation in enterprises and cooperation between enterprises and research organisations”.