NeXOS - THE DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF A REHABILITATION SYSTEM FOR THE LOWER LIMBS (Running Title – NeXOS)

NeXOS THE DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF A REHABILITATION SYSTEM FOR THE LOWER LIMBS (Running Title – NeXOS) D Bradley, C Acosta-Marquez, M Hawley, S Brownsell, P Enderby & S Mawson a (Corresponding Author), CCT, University of Abertay Dundee, Bell Street, Dundee DD1 1HG, UK Tel ++ 44 (0) 1382 308234, Fax ++ 44 (0) 1382 308627 b CETI, Universidad de Bogotá Jorge Tadeo Lozano, Apartado Aéreo 34185, Bogotá D.C., Colombia c ScHARR, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK d SISA, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK e Centre for Health and Social Care Research, Sheffield Hallam University, Collegiate Campus Sheffield S10 2BP, UK Abstract Recent years have seen the development of a number of automated and semi-automated systems to support for physiotherapy and rehabilitation. These deploy a range of technologies from highly complex purpose built systems to approaches based around the use of industrial robots operating either individually or in combination for applications ranging from stroke to mobility enhancement. The NeXOS project set out to investigate an approach to the rehabilitation of the lower limbs in a way which brought together expertise in engineering design and mechatronics with specilists in rehabilitation and physiotherapy.