Stretch with Stretch: Physical Therapy Exercise Games Led by a Mobile Manipulator

Physical therapy (PT) is a key component of many rehabilitation regimens, such as treatments for Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, there are shortages of physical therapists and adherence to self-guided PT is low. Robots have the potential to support physical therapists and increase adherence to self-guided PT, but prior robotic systems have been large and immobile, which can be a barrier to use in homes and clinics. We present Stretch with Stretch (SWS), a novel robotic system for leading stretching exercise games for older adults with PD. SWS consists of a compact and lightweight mobile manipulator (Hello Robot Stretch RE1) that visually and verbally guides users through PT exercises. The robot’s soft end effector serves as a target that users repetitively reach towards and press with a hand, foot, or knee. For each exercise, target locations are customized for the individual via a visually estimated kinematic model, a haptically estimated range of motion, and the person’s exercise performance. The system includes sound effects and verbal feedback from the robot to keep users engaged throughout a session and augment physical exercise with cognitive exercise. We conducted a user study for which people with PD (n = 10) performed 6 exercises with the system. Participants perceived the SWS to be useful and easy to use. They also reported mild to moderate perceived exertion (RPE). 1The Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines at the Geor- gia Institute of Technology (GT). 2Emory University School of Medicine. 3The Parkinson’s Foundation. 4Toyota Research Institute (TRI). 5University of Texas Long School of Medicine. This work is supported by TRI grant GR00010714 and the McCamish Parkinson’s Disease Innovation Program Blue Sky grant DE00021631. Charles C. Kemp was an associate professor at GT when contributing to this research. He now works full-time for Hello Robot Inc., which sells the Stretch RE1.