Abstract
The aim of this paper is to present the design and development of a device for rehabilitation for lower limbs through electrical acupuncture stimulation. The rehabilitation system uses an active lower extremity orthosis (exoskeleton) that can act as an assistive (or resistive) device that interacts with virtual reality and provides force feedback. The system includes a multi-electrode device for stimulating various acupuncture points of the legs by applying electrical impulses. A user-friendly interface has been created to adjust the strength and duration of the electrical pulses. The designed system provides visualization, adjustment and feedback in real time, guiding the operator in the steps of the therapeutic procedure. An interactive communication has been created between the electrical stimulating device and the therapist, which makes the rehabilitation therapy more adaptable to the personal characteristics of the patient without creating inconveniences. The hardware of the system and the construction of the matrix with electrodes for electrical stimulation are described. Finally, the experimental results show the applicability and precision of the designed system.
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Acknowledgements
This research was supported by the National Innovation Fund (project 11IF-02–14/03.12.2020, Development of an innovative solution for rehabilitation after a cerebrovascular accident or spinal cord injury), the Operational Program “Science and Education for Smart Growth” through the project “MIRACle”- Grant No BG05M2OP001–1.002–0011-C02 and co-financed by the European Union through the European structural and Investment funds.
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Venev, P., Veneva, I., Katsarov, G., Chakarov, D. (2023). Rehabilitation Device for Lower Limbs Through Virtual Training and Electrical Acupuncture Stimulation. In: Cascalho, J.M., Tokhi, M.O., Silva, M.F., Mendes, A., Goher, K., Funk, M. (eds) Robotics in Natural Settings. CLAWAR 2022. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol 530. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-15226-9_51
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-15226-9_51
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