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).

翻译：物理治疗是许多康复方案（如帕金森病治疗）的关键组成部分。然而，物理治疗师资源短缺，且患者自我指导治疗的依从性较低。机器人有望为物理治疗师提供支持并提高自我指导治疗的依从性，但现有机器人系统通常体积庞大且难以移动，这成为其在家庭和诊所中应用的障碍。我们提出"伴随拉伸"（SWS）系统——一种专为老年帕金森病患者设计的引导拉伸运动游戏的新型机器人系统。SWS由紧凑轻便的移动操作机器人（Hello Robot Stretch RE1）组成，可通过视觉和口头引导用户完成物理治疗动作。机器人的柔性末端执行器作为可重复接触的目标点，用户可用手、脚或膝盖按压。针对每项运动，系统通过视觉估计的运动学模型、触觉估计的活动范围及个人运动表现，为目标位置进行个性化定制。该系统配备音效和机器人语音反馈，以保持用户参与度，并将认知训练融入身体锻炼。我们开展了用户研究，10名帕金森病患者使用该系统完成了6项运动。参与者认为SWS系统实用且易用，并报告了轻度至中度的自觉疲劳程度。