An Automated Approach To Traditional Lower Limb Physiotherapy With Gyroscopic Precision And A Feedback Control Loop System
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As individuals get diseases such as Stroke and Total Knee Arthroplasty, they lose strength and balance in their knees and lower limbs. Traditional physiotherapy requires in-person interaction which is expensive, time consuming, and inconsistent. This machine was designed to automate therapy by assisting the patient to perform a leg extension exercise. The machine contains a motor, micro:bit, and battery pack on the upper part of the leg. The lower part of the leg connects to the motor and contains a micro:bit to measure the current angle of the leg. A joystick is provided for the patient to control the machine. There is a PID (Proportional - Integral - Derivative) control feedback loop to ensure the leg maintains a constant angle. The machine remembers positions and can bring back the leg to those positions, allowing patients to do repetitions of similar movements. In order to measure data, another micro:bit was connected to a computer, which receives data through radio from the micro:bit on the leg. The model has been tested through various test angles and has recorded the position error of the leg after performing the PID loop. The machine is within 0.97% of a target angle. Additionally, the results of a test on the range of motion for the ma- chine concludes that it is within 92.9% of a semi-circular shape, showing the flexibility of the device. The high accuracy, cost effectiveness, and ease of use makes it a viable option to prescribe to patients.
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