Beyond Motor Impairment: Empowering Functional Performance With Robotics

Abstract

There is an increasing need for assistive robots to support independent living for people with physical disabilities, but few are commercially accessible to users in their homes. Our objective was to investigate how the functional performance of everyday activities improved the performance of an individual with quadriplegia using the Stretch robot. We implemented a participatory design approach using a single subject volunteer sampling. Point-in-time evaluations included Stroke Specific Quality of Life Scale (SS-QOL) and Stroke Impact Scale (SIS). Pre- and post-measures included the Goal Attainment Scale (GAS) to assess intervention effectiveness on personalized goals. There was a statistically significant improvement in baseline GAS scores based on the individual’s goals in grooming (+2), self-feeding (+2), social participation (+2 giving a rose, +0 playing cards), and meal planning (+2) along with a T-scale score of 74.43. The individual’s functional performance in daily activities improved with Stretch while reducing care partner assistance, contributing positively to their experiences.

Plain Language Summary

Empowering Functional Performance Using Robotics with a Significantly Motor Impaired Post-Stroke Adult

This article discusses the use of a Stretch in a home environment by a non-speaking adult male who is paralyzed from the neck down. Stretch was operated by the person using a web interface on his computer to let him perform his daily living activities such as self-feeding, planning meals, personal hygiene, grooming, socializing, and playing games. This study shows how the Stretch empowered the person’s ability to do his everyday activities with greater independence while reducing the need for assistance from his care partner. The experiences of the individual and his care partner provide valuable insights into the practical applications of robots for people with physical disabilities and supporting their independent living.

Keywords

occupational therapy daily living assistive technologies functional outcomes caregivers

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