Robot-assisted upper-limb progressive anti-resistance training and clinical experimental study

The purpose of our study is to develop a new fuzzy adaptive impedance force supervisory control method to solve the problem where the training resistive force can not be real-time regulated with the recovery level of the impaired limb´s muscle strength in the upper-limb progressive anti-resistance training. A hierarchical fuzzy adaptive force controller including high-level basal resistive force fuzzy regulator and low-level fuzzy impedance force controller is constructed. The high-level regulator is developed to obtain the basal resistive force for each training session based on the evaluation of the imparied limb´s recovery level while the low-level controller is designed to further adjust the interactive force between the robot and impaired limb. Clinical experimental results on two recruited stroke patients verify the effectiveness and potentialities of the proposed therapy control strategy.