A Robotic Exoskeleton Could Become A Hi-tech Rehabilitation Tool For Stroke Victims (+VIDEO)
A sophisticated mind-reading exoskeleton has been invented at Rice University and the University of Houston in collaboration with TIRR Memorial Hermann Hospital. The tool is intended to help rehabilitate stroke victims, namely help the patients regain movement in the arms by reading their intended actions and nudging them along when needed. The robot wraps the arm from the fingertips to the elbow and uses a non-invasive EEG interface to anticipate gestures. A special feedback mechanism stimulates patients to make a continuous effort and helps them build up strength and accuracy over time. Moreover, in the long run the exoskeleton could help provide a real-time assessment of the plasticity of brain networks, gathering the information for researchers that could potentially help reverse-engineer the human brain.
Via:gizmag.com
