IIITB Develops IoT-Enabled Wheelchair for Stroke Rehabilitation

May 16, 2024

The IIIT Bangalore recently unveiled “XoRehab,” a new IoT-enabled wheelchair device that was made possible by the Centre for the Internet of Ethical Things and with help from several government and foreign groups. Specifically made to help stroke patients recover after surgery, this tool aims to solve the practical problems that patients often have getting regular exercise.

Genesis of XoRehab

The idea for XoRehab came from the need to give stroke patients ongoing, easy-to-reach therapy services after they left the hospital. Associate Professor Madhav Rao talked about how hospitals don’t have enough physiotherapy tools, especially for people who come from rural areas. Neurosurgeons at Nimhans also liked the idea, which led to the creation of a device that let patients rent the technology to use at home, which cut down on the number of times they had to go to the hospital.

Technical Specifications and Functionalities

XoRehab is a high-tech rehabilitation device that uses Surface Electromyography (EMG) to track muscle activity and recovery, which is very important for making sure that recovery plans are tailored to each patient. It has a nine Degree-of-freedom (DoF) suit that lets both the upper and lower limbs move in different ways without having to switch devices. The gadget can also be changed from a wheelchair to a stretcher, which makes it very useful for rehabbing the back and limbs.

What is the cost?

The device costs between ₹85,000 and ₹90,000 for hospitals. They can then rent it out to patients at fair prices, which makes advanced rehabilitation easier for more people.

What is Surface Electromyography (EMG)?

Surface electromyography, or EMG, is a way to record muscle electrical activity without sticking a needle into the muscle. To diagnose and treat neuromuscular illnesses, it mostly measures muscle activity. One of its best features is that it doesn’t involve invasive methods, so it doesn’t carry the risks that come with them. Surface EMG shows how active muscles are when they move, which is useful for sports science and therapy. In ergonomics, it has also been used to look at stress at work. Notably, it can tell the difference between muscles that are really relaxing and muscles that are barely moving, which is very important for treatments that involve retraining muscles. In an interesting twist, surface EMG can be used to control external devices like implants and to improve the interactivity of video games.

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