Design, Development and Control of a Therapeutic Robot Incorporating Aquatic Therapy for Ankle Rehabilitation

The simple act of walking can occasionally cause ankle sprains. Traditionally, the rehabilitation of a sprained ankle involves physical therapy. Physical therapy is one of the health professions that help regain mobility through manual exercises. Aquatic therapy is one of the most potent water-based anti-inflammatory methods currently employed that increases local blood circulation, decreases pain and swelling, and promotes speedy healing. Several studies have demonstrated that ankle rehabilitation robots have immense potential in patients' rehabilitation and recovery; however, these robots cannot be used underwater. This paper introduces the design, development, and control of a therapeutic robot incorporating aquatic therapy for ankle rehabilitation. Its primary objective is to design and control a one degree of freedom ankle rehabilitation robot that can be used in water and can recirculate hot water to simultaneously perform physical therapy and aquatic therapy. To conduct this study, an ankle rehabilitation robot was designed, modeled, developed, and controlled. The design and control techniques were evaluated by means of simulation and experimental results.