Development of exercise intensity controlled robotic treadmill with oxygen compensation and body sensor network for lower extremity rehabilitation

Motor control functional impairment (e.g. stroke) and respiratory function disorder (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, COPD) patients often need to take rehabilitation exercise with treadmill to improve their motor control and cardiopulmonary functions. However, there is no effective way during the exercise to monitor and to control the exercise intensity during rehabilitation training. According to the research report from ASSM, the appropriate exercise intensity control may be used to avoid the sudden death and to ensure the exercise effects for these patients. In addition, Carrieri-Kohlman also proposed the exercise-desensitization theory as guidance for the exercise rehabilitation training to promote the tolerance in patients by progressive exercise below the threshold of dyspnea. In recent years, body sensor network (BSN) integrated with conductive fiber, wireless communication and intelligent computation techniques with identification of physiological indices and physiological markers have been recognized as an emerging research area for remote healthcare. In this three-year research project, body sensor network, oxygen compensation, exercise intensity control, physiological marker assessment and closed-loop control techniques will be integrated to develop an exercise intensity controlled robotic treadmill with oxygen compensation and body sensor network for lower extremity rehabilitation. In the first part (year), conceptual design of the proposed rehabilitation treadmill will be developed by using TRIZ theory, biofeedback closed-loop speed control module will be developed, heart rate adaptive control rule using Fuzzy control theory and firmware software module will be developed. Finally, pilot study will be performed by using commercial available treadmill to verify the exercise intensity control mechanism. The research work of second part (year) will be focused on integrating BSN, conductive fiber knitting, real-time intelligent computation, wireless communication and power supply management technologies to develop BSN smart cloth. In addition, the physiological indices and physiological markers will be designed for functional experiments.The clinical assessment of the proposed rehabilitation training protocols will be performed in the third part (year). Experimental evaluation will be performed in two phases. In the first phase, stroke patients will be recruited for verifying the motor control and cardiopulmonary function improvement effect using the proposed exercise intensity control rehabilitation treadmill. In the second phase, test subjects will be recruited for evaluation of oxygen compensation effects on fatiguability during and after ambulatory rehabilitation. Furthermore, the physiological index/marker database will be developed for future risk analysis of frailty or target diseases. Upon completing of this project, the proposed exercise intensity control rehabilitation treadmill with oxygen compensation and BSN smart cloth will be developed and used for clinical assessment. The real-time exercise intensity control mechanism may be considered as a good solution for exercise intensity training. The proposed wearable BSN smart cloth may become kernel technologies for ubiquous (anytime, anyplace and any-movement) physiological monitoring in tele-healthcare applications.

Project ID:PB10202-1125
External Project ID:NSC101-2221-E182-044-MY3