Kinematic design of a parallel ankle rehabilitation robot for sprained ankle physiotherapy

Parallel robot was widely applied in the field of medical rehabilitation. Particularly, the ankle parallel rehabilitation robot was known as the hot research topics. The paper introduced the parallel robot in the ankle rehabilitation applications, then ankle physiological structure, damage mechanism were analyzed. It presented a novel parallel ankle rehabilitation robot, and achieved the kinematic solution and simulation analysis. The results showed that: (1) In the single input condition, the range of motion for the moving platform to pull the ankle of patients were dorsiflexion (0°-30°), plantar flexion (0°-50°), inversion/ eversion(0°-18°), adduction/ abduction (0°-10°), which was suitable for the patients in initial rehabilitation training of ankle. (2) In double inputs condition, the range of motion for the moving platform were pulled the ankle of patients were dorsiflexion (0°-30°), plantar flexion (0°-50°), inversion/ eversion (0°-25°), adduction/ abduction (0°-20°), which was suitable for the patients in medium-term rehabilitation training of ankle. (3) In three inputs condition, the range of motion for the moving platform were pulled the ankle of patients were dorsiflexion (0°-30°), plantar flexion (0°-50°), inversion/ eversion (0°-40°), adduction/ abduction (0°-30°), which was more conducive to the rehabilitation training for the ankle of patients. According to these characteristics, it was properly to meet the range of motion for the normal ankle, and helped patients to take various kinds of ankle rehabilitation exercising.