Development of a stationary upper and lower extremities rehabilitation system

Chong, Ying Hang (2025) Development of a stationary upper and lower extremities rehabilitation system. Final Year Project, UTAR.

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Abstract

Rehabilitation for individuals with upper and lower limb impairments such as those resulting from stroke, spinal injuries, and neurological conditions remains a prolonged, resource-intensive process. Traditional therapy methods often rely heavily on the availability of skilled therapists and in-person clinical visits, leading to high treatment costs, inconsistent therapy sessions, and limited access, especially in low- and middle-income regions. Furthermore, current robotic rehabilitation systems are often prohibitively expensive, and many lack the flexibility to accommodate both upper and lower extremity rehabilitation in a single platform. These gaps highlight a critical need for a cost-effective, accessible, and versatile rehabilitation system that delivers programmable, repeatable, and safe therapeutic exercises. To address these challenges, this project presents the development of a stationary rehabilitation system designed to support the rehabilitation of both upper and lower limbs. The system utilizes stepper motors, linear actuators, and interchangeable limb supports to facilitate joint movements, while an ESP32 microcontroller enables system control and IoT connectivity. An MPU6050 sensor module (accelerometer and gyroscope) was integrated for real-time monitoring of acceleration and angular velocity during rehabilitation exercises. The prototype was fabricated using CNC machining and 3D printing and tested on eight healthy participants performing exercises at different speeds and across varied range of motion (ROM) profiles for both elbow and knee joints. Validation of motor rotational speed showed a low overall error of 2.82% across high (29.25 °/s) and low (13.50 °/s) speeds. ROM evaluations confirmed system repeatability, with a 4.75% average difference across varying speeds. Joint motion tracking using the MPU6050 sensor showed an average percentage error of 8.79% when validated against a Trigno IMU, demonstrating acceptable accuracy with slight variations depending on movement dynamics. In addition to ROM and motion tracking, dynamic kinematic data (acceleration and angular velocity) were captured for real-time motion analysis and rehabilitation performance assessment. The complete system was developed at an estimated cost of RM1600, providing a significantly lower cost alternative to commercial robotic rehabilitation devices. This project demonstrates promising potential to deliver accessible, quantifiable, and remotely monitored therapy for upper and lower extremity impairments, suitable for use in clinical settings and at home. Keywords: Rehabilitation, Biomechanics, Upper Extremities and Lower Extremities, Extension and Flexion, Accelerometer and Gyroscope. Subject Area: R856-857 Biomedical engineering. Electronics. Instrumentatio

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