Design of a pneumatically driven robotic workbench for rehabilitation

This paper addresses the application of robots to aid in the physical rehabilitation of patients. The objective is to present the design of a pneumatically driven robotic workbench with force control for rehabilitation of upper and lower limbs. Recently, the research in the mechatronic systems field is being developed to assist the physical rehabilitation of people who have suffered some form of serious physical injury. Robotic manipulators make it possible to carry out tasks repeatedly in a controlled and reliable way, which has been demonstrated in the literature as a determinant factor for the increase of the motor skill and improvement in the performance of functional activities. For interaction between the robot and the human, pneumatic actuators with controllable stiffness are used to avoid injury to the patient and damage to the equipment. It is perceived that due to the compressibility of the air, it is more advantageous and safer in applications involving the risk of accidents and the need to limit the forces of interaction with the environment. The chosen methodology consists of the analysis of needs, design and modelling of systems. This work aims to contribute to the development of innovative robotic manipulators used in upper and lower limb rehabilitation therapies.