HYDROTHERABOTS: FİZİKSEL REHABİLİTASYON İÇİN ROBOTS, AI VE VR TEKNOLOJİLERİNİ KULLANAN HYDROTHERAPY

Worldwide, 15 million incidents of stroke are registered annually, and it is the leading cause of disability globally. Qatar ranks 129, and Turkeye ranks 126 in the world in stroke incidents, with annual stroke cases of 94 and 154 per 100,1000. Stroke incidents can cause serious neurological deficits like spasticity, paralysis, and loss of pathological reflexes/motor function. Timely and efficient rehabilitation can significantly help stroke patients to recover and regain independent mobility.

Hydrotherapy has emerged as an innovative physical therapy that reduces the impact of loading underwater and allows gradual progressive loading of major joints, leading to an accelerated recovery. In addition, the proprioceptive feedback of water provides enhanced efficacy compared to land-based rehabilitation. While hydrotherapy offers numerous benefits for physical rehabilitation, the need for specialized staff for continuous patient assistance, limited working hours, and workforce cost constraints the intake of stroke patients.

The present proposal aims to elevate the reach of hydrotherapy by developing HYDROTHERABOTS state-of-the-art rehabilitation robotic system by integrating gait training robotic walker, sensors, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Augmented Reality (AR), and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies. Technological development is aimed to be achieved through four targeted objectives.

(a) Analyze biomechanics of underwater body movement: Buoyancy, hydrostatic pressure, water resistance and assistance properties will be correlated to analyze the biomechanics of body movement underwater. A corrosion-resistant composite structure will be specifically designed for use in underwater settings. Robotic gait rehabilitation protocols will be designed considering the adaptation of the patient to the environment with minimum human assistance.
(b) Design of gait rehabilitation robot integrated with sensor framework: The robotic hydrotherapy system will be developed through a biomechatronics design methodology based on the sensorimotor relearning principles in two stages. i) A land-based VR-assisted robotic walker system will be designed and utilized as a benchmark for evaluating the performance of the robotic hydrotherapy system. ii) An AR-assisted robotic walker device will be designed particularly for hydrotherapy. The multi-modal sensory framework for both will provide kinematic and kinetic data from the robotic walker and body, behavioral data from AR or VR scenarios together with the Electromyography (EMG), Electroencephalogram (EEG), heart rate, and inertial measurement data.
(c) Develop AI models for rehabilitation: AI algorithms will process individual patient data from the sensor framework and customize rehabilitation programs. Additionally, during exercise, the AI models will guarantee patient comfort and react in case of emergency. The control system will be manipulated based on the measures obtained by the acquired multi-modal data.
(d) Test the developed systems in underwater and on-land rehabilitation protocols: The Qatar team will test the performance of the robotic hydrotherapy system underwater and the  team will investigate the performance on-land. The Qatar and Turkiye teams will recruit patients for clinical trials.

The project's achievements are expected to improve the number of patients who benefit from robotic rehabilitation and hydrotherapy. Designing and testing robotic gait rehabilitation for both on-land and hydrotherapy scenarios will provide valuable data for the development of individualized AI-based models. These models will help us monitor and understand the brain reconfiguration and healing processes. The integration of robotic rehabilitation with AR, VR, and hydrotherapy will aid to enhance the anticipated efficacy of robotic rehabilitation.

Worldwide, 15 million incidents of stroke are registered annually, and it is the leading cause of disability globally. Qatar ranks 129, and Turkeye ranks 126 in the world in stroke incidents, with annual stroke cases of 94 and 154 per 100,1000. Stroke incidents can cause serious neurological deficits like spasticity, paralysis, and loss of pathological reflexes/motor function. Timely and efficient rehabilitation can significantly help stroke patients to recover and regain independent mobility.

Hydrotherapy has emerged as an innovative physical therapy that reduces the impact of loading underwater and allows gradual progressive loading of major joints, leading to an accelerated recovery. In addition, the proprioceptive feedback of water provides enhanced efficacy compared to land-based rehabilitation. While hydrotherapy offers numerous benefits for physical rehabilitation, the need for specialized staff for continuous patient assistance, limited working hours, and workforce cost constraints the intake of stroke patients.

The present proposal aims to elevate the reach of hydrotherapy by developing HYDROTHERABOTS state-of-the-art rehabilitation robotic system by integrating gait training robotic walker, sensors, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Augmented Reality (AR), and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies. Technological development is aimed to be achieved through four targeted objectives.

(a) Analyze biomechanics of underwater body movement: Buoyancy, hydrostatic pressure, water resistance and assistance properties will be correlated to analyze the biomechanics of body movement underwater. A corrosion-resistant composite structure will be specifically designed for use in underwater settings. Robotic gait rehabilitation protocols will be designed considering the adaptation of the patient to the environment with minimum human assistance.
(b) Design of gait rehabilitation robot integrated with sensor framework: The robotic hydrotherapy system will be developed through a biomechatronics design methodology based on the sensorimotor relearning principles in two stages. i) A land-based VR-assisted robotic walker system will be designed and utilized as a benchmark for evaluating the performance of the robotic hydrotherapy system. ii) An AR-assisted robotic walker device will be designed particularly for hydrotherapy. The multi-modal sensory framework for both will provide kinematic and kinetic data from the robotic walker and body, behavioral data from AR or VR scenarios together with the Electromyography (EMG), Electroencephalogram (EEG), heart rate, and inertial measurement data.
(c) Develop AI models for rehabilitation: AI algorithms will process individual patient data from the sensor framework and customize rehabilitation programs. Additionally, during exercise, the AI models will guarantee patient comfort and react in case of emergency. The control system will be manipulated based on the measures obtained by the acquired multi-modal data.
(d) Test the developed systems in underwater and on-land rehabilitation protocols: The Qatar team will test the performance of the robotic hydrotherapy system underwater and the  team will investigate the performance on-land. The Qatar and Turkiye teams will recruit patients for clinical trials.

The project's achievements are expected to improve the number of patients who benefit from robotic rehabilitation and hydrotherapy. Designing and testing robotic gait rehabilitation for both on-land and hydrotherapy scenarios will provide valuable data for the development of individualized AI-based models. These models will help us monitor and understand the brain reconfiguration and healing processes. The integration of robotic rehabilitation with AR, VR, and hydrotherapy will aid to enhance the anticipated efficacy of robotic rehabilitation.