A team of scientists has created a groundbreaking system that enables robots to communicate with patients through a headset that detects neural activity. This innovation is part of the VITALISE international pilot study, led by the Human Robot Interaction (HRI) team at the National Robotarium in collaboration with the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology.
The new system allows socially assistive robots to interpret brain signals to understand a patient’s intended movements, effectively functioning as robotic rehabilitation coaches. These robots can provide personalized support based on individual patient needs, potentially revolutionizing medical robotics by enhancing rehabilitation efforts without requiring constant human intervention.
“The goal is to have robotic coaches that support clinicians in delivering more effective rehabilitation journeys,” said Lynne Baillie, academic lead for human-robot interaction at the National Robotarium.
The robots could be particularly beneficial for stroke and brain injury survivors who suffer from upper limb impairments. Approximately 80 percent of these survivors face such impairments, which significantly impact their quality of life. The system aims to help these patients complete repetitive exercises necessary for limb rehabilitation, addressing issues like forgetfulness, which often leads to incomplete rehabilitation routines.
The headset developed for the study utilizes a brain-computer interface (BCI) to read neural activity, similar to some advanced medical devices but without the need for invasive surgery. Over a three-month trial, 16 stroke and brain injury survivors interacted with these robots under the supervision of six therapists. The study focused on assessing the system’s ability to understand user intentions and motivate patients effectively.
Markus Garschall, a scientist at the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, emphasized the importance of collaboration and user experience in developing such technologies. “Co-design methods are very helpful, especially in eHealth,” he said. “The transnational collaboration with scientists from Scotland has been very inspiring, highlighting the need for greater European cooperation, especially in healthcare.”
