Development of ADLER: The Activities of Daily Living Exercise Robot

Robot-assisted therapy devices are being used in the physical and neurological rehabilitation of persons after stroke, which is the leading cause of disability among adults in the United States. Motor gains after robot-assisted therapy may not transfer to functioning on activities of daily living. It is conceivable that carryover after training may be improved through the use of training activities that are patient-centered, engaging and focused on daily living activities. We have developed the activities of daily living exercise robot (ADLER) stroke training environment to test this idea. This environment permits the consistent and repeated practice of daily living tasks such as drinking. This paper describes the ADLER training system