THEthe cobot the collaborative robotwhich transforms the patient’s intention to move into a gesture, arrived in Italy. And today ten patients are experiencing it. In the Villa Beretta rehabilitation centre of the Valduce hospital, in Costa Masnago (Lecco).
Walking again: more than a dream
The cobot represents the last frontier of technology. The one that practically cures like a drug. Thanks to the rehabilitation with wearable robots, today it is possible to go back to walk again after a stroke, a motorcycle or car accident, a fall while skiing, and other serious sports injuries.
An ever more decisive technology
Research today is making great strides to improve motor recovery of people with disabilities. And the use of robots for rehabilitation has gone through several steps of improvement. «The first exoskeleton model dates back to twenty years ago. L’exoskeleton is a kind of robotic suit, which allows those who are unable to walk. It allows those who have lost control of their legs to exercise on a treadmill» recalls Franco Molteni, director of the complex functional recovery and rehabilitation unit of the Villa Beretta rehabilitation centre. «Then came the robot that allows people who have had a complete spinal cord injurywith paralysis of the lower limbs, to stand up and to learn to walk again using two crutches.
The cobot and the alliance with the patient
The last frontier is represented by the cobot, that is the collaborative robot. «Through an enhancement of the electric motors it interacts on a greater and more personalized level with the patient. He naturally transforms his intention into movement» explains the professor. “Lper person as he takes his steps with the robot, not only forwards but also backwards and sideways. He does not need the support of crutches or walkers nor the help of the physiotherapist. And his arms are freewhich he can use to do other exercises, such as dribbling, or simply moving in space by training his balance».
The cobot and cognitive recovery
The function of the cobot is twofold. “Unlike other robotic technologies already in use, precisely because it allows you to better accommodate the patient’s movement, it reactivates both motor and cognitive skills more effectively, such as memory, attention and perception of the space around himunderlined Professor Molteni. «The exercise in standing position, moreover, promotes better intestinal function, which in turn strengthens the immune system» clarifies Molteni.
Helps reshape the nervous system
Motor rehabilitation with robotic technology, together with drug therapycontinues the doctor, «enhances neuroplasticity, i.e. the ability of the nervous system to adapt in the reorganization of movement control that is no longer coordinated effectively following spinal cord or brain injury.
Who is the cobot for?
The cobot is intended topeople with a very serious motor disability (which involves partial or total paralysis of the lower limbs)which results from spinal injuries, brain injuries (due to head injury or stroke), or neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis.
Rehabilitation robots in Italy
the cobot, already available in Germany, France and Spain, it arrived in Italy for the first time in April at the Villa Beretta centre, where the first ten patients are experiencing it. The requirement is to be at least one meter and 55 centimeters tall and weigh less than 100 kilos. «The acquisition of this instrument – explains Molteni – is part of the “Fit for medical robotics” project coordinated by the National Research Council and the Biorobotics Institute of Pisa. Within the next four years, it aims to make robotic and digital technologies indispensable for rehabilitation medicine. Today wearable robots are present in about 30% of Italian rehabilitation centers. The hope is that public health will invest in the purchase of these machines to improve the rehabilitation process, making the treatment process more sustainable, even economically”.
A search path
Behind technological progress there is, of course, a lot of research. A rehabilitation research institute was inaugurated in June within the Villa Beretta rehabilitation centrewhich is developing three fields of study. The first is for smaller, wearable robots. They are the ones who check, for example, only the knee or only the hip, which can be taken home giving continuity (and sustainability) of care. The second focuses on the interactions between stroke and microbiota. The third on the development of clinical research during the rehabilitation exercise (through the performance of some tests, such as electroencephalography and electromyography. They serve to better adapt the therapies to the patient’s healing needs.
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