Hemiplegia, affecting approximately 75% of all stroke survivors, is a common neurological impairment that results in upper and lower limb sensory and motor deficits. Recovery of coordinated movement of both upper limbs is important for bilateral function and promotes personal independence. This paper describes the philosophy and design of Driver's Simulation Environment for Arm Therapy, a one-degree-of-freedom robotic device that uses a modified Constraint-Induced therapy paradigm to promote coordinated bilateral movement in the upper limbs. Baseline force and tracking data for four neurologically unimpaired subjects who completed bilateral and unilateral steering with the impaired arm using the device are presented.

The Rehabilitation Technologies Division of Applied Resources Corp. (RTD-ARC) has engaged in a Phase I effort to commercialize a robotic bi-manual therapy machine for use in stroke rehabilitation, in cooperation with the VA Rehabilitation R&D Center in Palo Alto. The robotic therapy device, called ARCMIME here in order to differentiate it from its clinical predecessor, has the potential to improve rehabilitation outcomes significantly for individuals who have upper limb impairments due to stroke and other brain injuries.

This paper describes design considerations and clinical outcomes with regards to the Phase I system. It was found that the kinematically simpler system adequately replicated the data outcomes of the more sophisticated PUMA-based experimental test rig.