Rehabilitation

When someone has suffered a stroke, they often have difficulty relaying commands from their brain to other parts of their body, such as their limbs. A new robotic system, known as NCyborg, may one day help them regain the ability to do so.

A novel device designed to help stroke patients recover wrist and hand function has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. Called IpsiHand, the system is the first brain-computer interface device to ever receive FDA market approval.

When a stroke victim has lost the use of an arm, they typically have to perform rehabilitative exercises utilizing heavy, costly, clinic-based equipment. A compact new portable device, however, could be used by patients in their own homes.

According to a new study, the rolling iStride Device has been shown to improve the gait of stroke victims.

A new augmented reality-based system is made to train athletes and help rehab patients, by providing real-time motion feedback.

​If someone is recovering from an injury that reduces their mobility, it's not uncommon for them to walk with a cane throughout the day, and to periodically get their progress checked by a rehabilitative therapist. A new "smart" cane, however, could allow them to do both things at once.

​Although exercise is the best way of building muscle, there are cases where people need some help – such people can include those who are frail, or are laid up by injuries. That's where a new prototype device comes in, that uses magnetic fields to "fool" muscles into thinking they're being used.

When it comes to upper-limb rehabilitation, it's helpful for patients to replicate tasks in which they pick up and precisely place objects. According to scientists from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, a good way of motivating patients to do that is to have them play tic tac toe against a robot.

​For people with lower limb problems, making regular trips into a physiotherapy clinic can be a major hassle if they live in a remote region. That's why Deepti Aggarwal, a PhD candidate at Australia's University of Melbourne, created the internet-connected SoPhy "smart socks."

We've seen all sorts of innovations to help rehabilitate stroke patients, from Nintendo Wii games to stem cell treatments. Now, a team of researchers has come up with a band-aid-like sensor, worn on the throat, which tracks vital information to send wirelessly to a doctor.

​When a person's arm has become paralyzed due to a stroke, therapists often deliver electric shocks to the arm, causing its muscles to move. Studies have shown, however, that it works better when the patient is in charge of delivering those shocks themselves. A new device lets them do so.

What do you do if you're a Japanese car maker facing an aging population that needs more help getting back on their feet than behind the wheel? If you're Toyota, you turn this problem into an opportunity and develop a robotic system to help them regain the use of their legs.