Desarrollo de un prototipo de robot para rehabilitación de pacientes con lesiones en rodillas controlado mediante dispositivos móviles.

Abstract

In this research project an electronic robot prototype was developed for the rehabilitation of patients with knee injuries controlled by mobile devices. In order to select the elements to be used, the comparative methodology was carried out, mainly the functionality, cost and reliability were evaluated. The system consists of three stages: mechanical, electronic and software design. The mechanical structure has a transmission system by means of a power screw, guaranteeing the transformation of the rotating movement emitted by the motor to a linear movement ensuring the displacement of 120 ͦ in flexion to 0 ͦ in extension to be necessary for rehabilitation. The second stage of the prototype is powered by a 12V power supply to the electricity grid, controlled by an Arduino MEGA 2560 which receives data sent by Bluetooth, a rotary encoder and two limit switches. Finally, the third stage consists of two operational modes, the first called manual mode that allows to vary the speed by means of a potentiometer. The second called wireless mode consists of a mobile application with a local database which allows the patient's data to be stored with their respective rehabilitation routine. As a result of the tests, it is concluded that the prototype can be controlled by a mobile device up to a distance of 7.5m. It has an operating error angle of 2 ͦ with and without a patient, and according to experts it does not affect the rehabilitation process which makes it reliable for therapy. It is recommended to add muscle sensors to the prototype in order to monitor the transmitted signals and be able to store them in a database to permit further analysis.