A new method for evaluating kinesthetic acuity during haptic interaction

Title A new method for evaluating kinesthetic acuity during haptic interaction A new method for evaluating kinesthetic acuity during haptic interaction. print or electronic copy may be made for personal use only. Systematic or multiple reproduction, distribution to multiple locations via electronic or other means, duplication of any material in this paper for a fee or for commercial purposes, or modification of the content of the paper is prohibited and is subject to penalties under law. (2014). A new method for evaluating kinesthetic acuity during haptic interaction. SUMMARY Although proprioceptive impairment is likely to affect in a significant manner the capacity of stroke patients to recover functionality of upper limb, clinical assessment methods currently in use are rather crude, with a low level of reliability and a limited capacity to discriminate the relevant features of this severe deficit. In the present paper, we describe a new technique based on robot technology, with the goal of providing a reliable, accurate, and quantitative evaluation of kinesthetic acuity, which can be integrated in robot therapy. The proposed technique, based on a pulsed assistance paradigm, has been evaluated on a group of healthy subjects. 1. Introduction In recent years, neuromotor rehabilitation particularly related to recovery from sensorimotor deficits play a crucial role in the design of effective training protocols, with particular reference to the use of robot and virtual reality training techniques 1–10 aiming to recover proprioceptive acuity. A large number of subjects with stroke present a significant and severe impairment in kinesthesia.