Development of Mobile Manipulator System Providing Grounded Haptic Information During Gait Training for the Stroke

Effective gait training of the stroke can be performed by leveraging grounded haptic information obtain by touching an external immobile object. Robotic systems with various preset curvatures allow users to undergo gait training without spatial restrictions, as well as straight-path gait training. We developed a mobile manipulator platform in which the handle is positioned along the preset gait-training path while the robot guides the user by providing grounded haptic information along the designated path as a rail. To verify the system’s functionality, experiments were conducted for various curvatures. Based on the results, the robot can guide the user along the defined track while providing grounded haptic information. Further investigation is required to verify the system’s effectiveness across a broad patient population.