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Rebecca Voelker

JAMA. 2005;294:1191-1195.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Chicago—Physical therapist Ela Lewis, MSPT, is about to do something that would be considered a grave error in any other setting. Her patient, a 65-year-old man, was left with impaired balance and walking ability after a stroke 10 years ago. To challenge his sense of balance Lewis throws a ball toward her patient, just outside his reach.

Many similarly impaired individuals would fall if they tried to catch the ball; others wouldn’t attempt to catch it for fear of falling. And no responsible therapist would ever risk injuring a patient. But Lewis and her patient are demonstrating a novel robotic device that keeps him upright and allows his therapist to use exercises that otherwise would be unthinkable.

The 500-pound device, called the KineAssist, is a motorized platform, or "buggy," with a "smart brace" that supports the trunk and pelvis to help patients recovering from a stroke or . . . [Full Text of this Article]

USER-FRIENDLY ROBOTS



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