Exploring the application of NAO Physio in rehabilitation treatment: a case study of social robots assisting rehabilitation

With the development of science and technology, robotic technology is increasingly used in the medical field. For many patients, rehabilitation is a long and arduous process. During this process, patients need to perform a large number of repetitive exercises to restore body function. However, traditional rehabilitation methods often lack interest, making it difficult for patients to maintain a positive attitude towards treatment. In order to solve this problem, researchers began to try to introduce social robots into the rehabilitation treatment process to improve patient participation and treatment effects

In fact, past research has shown that social robots have positive effects on rehabilitation treatment. For exampleRobots can effectively improve interaction with patients, increase patients' participation in treatment, and promote the continuity of treatment. The social robot NAO has been used in cardiac rehabilitation training, aphasia rehabilitation training and other trainings, proving the feasibility of robots participating in rehabilitation treatment.

A recent study published at the International Conference on Information Technology & Systems used Choreographe to develop corresponding programs for the NAO robot, introduced it into limb rehabilitation training, and evaluated the use of NAO with physical therapists Rehabilitation effects of robots.

Research design

The main purpose of the research is to provide a set of exercise methods that can help human upper limb movement recovery. Therefore, choosing appropriate rehabilitation exercises is crucial. Among all the actions performed by the NAO robot, the movements of the upper limbs are closest to human movements, especially the movements of the shoulders and elbows

Therefore, in order to be closest to human upper limb movements, the study selected rehabilitation training related to shoulder joints and elbow joints. And using Choregraphe to program the NAO robot to perform some selected exercise actions, the study designed a total of fourteen exercises.

In the picture below, we can see the comparison between the programmed movement range of the NAO robot and the human movement

experiment process

During the training process, the NAO robot will first move to an upright position, wave to the user, and say: "Hello, I am NAO, your physical therapy session partner, let's get started?"

Next, the robot will return to the initial position and the arms will be extended along the body. It then chooses to perform one of 14 available exercises. For this purpose, a program block with Switch Cases was used. Each exercise has a specific code that can be used by physical therapists during rehabilitation

There are 14 exercises, each requiring positioning the robot's limbs at the start of the movement and moving them to the final position. The NAO robot starts from a resting position, tells the user which exercise to perform, and then repeats the movement four times. After completing the repetition, the robot returns to its resting position and can continue with the selection of another exercise

NAO will perform a dance and say goodbye politely after practice. This emotional interaction with patients can help patients become more actively involved in treatment and attract them to come back for treatment

Research result

Regarding the results of rehabilitation training, the researchers surveyed 34 physical therapists and analyzed the use of NAO robots, focusing on evaluating whether the NAO to be used meets the efficiency, usability and effectiveness Require.

For each action, do you think the robot's execution is accurate? Are there any unusual or unusual movements? Do you think the robot's movement speed is appropriate? For each movement, do you think the robot can provide enough strength and stability? Did you encounter any problems or difficulties throughout the programming exercise? Do you think these exercises will be helpful in improving your patient's shoulder function? Why? What aspects of robot programming do you enjoy? Are there any areas that you think could be improved? Please provide any additional feedback or suggestions. After evaluation and analysis, the research team has drawn conclusions about the exercise of NAO robot programming and will make improvements based on the results

• Efficiency - Can the NAO robot complete physical therapy exercises correctly?
• Ease of use - Do you think the NAO robot is easy to use?
• Effect——(1) Can NAO robot allow patients to devote themselves wholeheartedly to treatment? (2) Can NAO robots help physical therapists improve patients’ enthusiasm for treatment?
According to the survey results, people generally believe that the 14 exercises performed by the NAO robot are appropriate and satisfactory. Physiotherapists have a high acceptance of NAO robots as auxiliary tools. The use of NAO robots will help patients' treatment. This result shows the usability and effectiveness of NAO robots in the rehabilitation process

The research results show that NAO robot has great potential in rehabilitation treatment. Using NAO robots for rehabilitation treatment, patients can practice in a more interesting and interactive environment, thereby improving the treatment effect. In addition, the NAO robot has the characteristics of humanized design, flexibility and interactivity, making it an ideal choice in the field of rehabilitation treatment. With the continuous development of technology, we have reason to believe that social robots will play an increasingly important role in rehabilitation treatment in the future

References: Literature link: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-33261-6_43#Sec7

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