*Result*: Advancing Home Rehabilitation: The PlanAID Robot's Approach to Upper-Body Exercise Through Impedance Control.

Title:
Advancing Home Rehabilitation: The PlanAID Robot's Approach to Upper-Body Exercise Through Impedance Control.
Authors:
Breton D; Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherche en Réadaptation et Intégration Sociale (Cirris), Quebec City, QC G1M 2S8, Canada.; Robotics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada., Laliberté T; Robotics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada., Blanchette AK; Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherche en Réadaptation et Intégration Sociale (Cirris), Quebec City, QC G1M 2S8, Canada.; School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada., Campeau-Lecours A; Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherche en Réadaptation et Intégration Sociale (Cirris), Quebec City, QC G1M 2S8, Canada.; Robotics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada.
Source:
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) [Sensors (Basel)] 2025 Dec 26; Vol. 26 (1). Date of Electronic Publication: 2025 Dec 26.
Publication Type:
Journal Article
Language:
English
Journal Info:
Publisher: MDPI Country of Publication: Switzerland NLM ID: 101204366 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1424-8220 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 14248220 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Sensors (Basel) Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s):
Original Publication: Basel, Switzerland : MDPI, c2000-
References:
Neuroreport. 2021 Apr 7;32(6):479-488. (PMID: 33788815)
Med Biol Eng Comput. 2011 Oct;49(10):1103-18. (PMID: 21773806)
J Neuroeng Rehabil. 2004 Oct 26;1(1):5. (PMID: 15679916)
Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2024 Jan 03;11:1332689. (PMID: 38234302)
J Rehabil Assist Technol Eng. 2024 Sep 27;11:20556683241288226. (PMID: 39372217)
IEEE Rev Biomed Eng. 2016;9:4-14. (PMID: 27071194)
Cyborg Bionic Syst. 2024 Jun 01;5:0099. (PMID: 38827223)
Grant Information:
331022 Fonds de Recherche du Québec : Nature et Technologies; 251649 Fonds de recherche du Québec - Santé; 574087 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
Contributed Indexing:
Keywords: control engineering; force sensing; impedance control; motor learning; rehabilitation engineering; rehabilitation robotics
Entry Date(s):
Date Created: 20260110 Date Completed: 20260110 Latest Revision: 20260113
Update Code:
20260130
PubMed Central ID:
PMC12788063
DOI:
10.3390/s26010175
PMID:
41516611
Database:
MEDLINE

*Further Information*

*Rehabilitation robots are a leading solution towards bridging the gap between the growing number of rehabilitation patients requiring therapy and the limited availability of healthcare professionals. However, existing robotic systems are often bulky and expensive, limiting their ability to provide widespread, repetitive, and intensive exercises. This paper presents the development of an impedance-based control strategy designed to provide safe and compliant upper-body passive and active exercises on the low-cost PlanAID robot, which is built using consumer-grade components. The system's functionalities are evaluated using a high-precision force sensor. Results show that the PlanAID exhibits performance comparable to seminal devices such as the MIT-Manus, achieving a similar applicable reaction force target of 28 N and reflected inertia of 1.1 kg. Although the overall performance is comparable, the low-cost PlanAID prototype suffers from reduced coupled stability margins, limiting the maximum achievable virtual spring constant to 1100 N/m. Despite this limitation, the stiffness values required in practical applications remain low, suggesting that the PlanAID could potentially be a viable candidate for real-world rehabilitation. Initial user feedback was obtained through a preliminary qualitative trial involving healthy subjects.*