This project is devoted to improving support technology for rehabilitating physical disabilities.
The specific aims are to build a prototype rehabilitative exercise system to meet specifications learned from past clinical and engineering research. System specifications were designed to overcome the shortcomings of both conventional weight-on-rope systems and recent generation rehabilitative exercise systems. Phase I activities will include constructing and testing system components enabling features such as isokinetic as well as isotonic unconstrained exercise motions, real-time performance feedback and data management. Engineering tests of component and system capability and reliability will be followed by evaluation in clinical settings. These Phase I activities extend several years of researching market need in physical rehabilitation and placing and evaluating rehabilitation exercise systems in clinical settings. Phase II potential of this project include pursuing commercial potential of the developed system and testing other design options for furthering the system's rehabilitative potential.
