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Chapter 11 • Robotics 317

and bilateral upper limb (elbow and shoulder) training. It can be used in passive, active and
bimanual modes (Ho et al., 2011). The system uses a Puma 560 robot arm to apply forces to
the paretic limb and assist movement. It interfaces with the hand via a splint and a connec-
tor that breaks away if interaction forces become excessive (Lum et al., 2005).

GENTLE/S SYSTEM
The GENTLE/s project was funded by the European Commission to evaluate the effect of
2
robot-aided therapy in stroke rehabilitation. The GENTLE/s system (Fig. 11-2) is based
on haptics and virtual reality visualisation techniques. It incorporates a commercial robot,
the Haptic Master (FCS Robotics, Netherlands), which provides reaching movements in 3
active DOFs. The patient moves against a resisted haptic arm in a computer-generated vir-
tual 3D room. The GENTLE/s includes three therapy modes: passive, active-assisted and
active-resisted mode (Coote, 2008).

REHAROB THERAPEUTIC SYSTEM
3
REHAROB (Fig. 11-3) was an EU-funded project under the 5th Framework Programme,
looking at the development of a robotic rehabilitation system (REHAROB) to support
upper limb (shoulder and elbow) physiotherapy of patients with spastic hemiparesis.
The project used existing industrial robots equipped with extra safety systems to auto-
mate physiotherapy motions and mobilise patients’ arms along arbitrary trajectories
(Fazekas, 2009). REHAROB was an end-effector-based system, which used two industrial
robots each to move the upper and lower arm. REHAROB differs from the MIT-MANUS

FIGURE 11-2 GENTLE/s�

2 http://www.gentle.reading.ac.uk/.
3 https://www.researchgate.net/figure/The-REHAROB-Therapeutic-System_fig1_6114872.