The International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Bangalore has come up with an innovative wheelchair to assist stroke patients to recover. The product is named XoRehab and is IoT-enabled. Centre for the Internet of Ethical Things has supported the development along with various government and international organizations. It is learned that the innovative XoRehab wheelchair provides consistent exercise and therapy to stroke patients after surgery.
The basic idea was to provide accessible therapy services for stroke patients after they are discharged from hospitals post-surgery. Associate Professor Madhav Rao highlighted lack of physiotherapy tools in hospitals and particularly in the rural areas. The team which developed the tool was encouraged by neurosurgeons at Nimhans. They developed it to allow patients to rent the device for home use. This will subsequently reduce frequent hospital visits.
XoRehab can be simply defined as a state-of-the-art rehabilitation device that utilizes Surface Electromyography (EMG) to monitor muscle activity as well as recovery. It ensures personalized treatment plans. It is equipped with a nine Degree-of-Freedom (DoF) suit and allows comprehensive movement of upper and lower limbs without switching devices. Moreover, it has the feature to transform from a wheelchair to a stretcher. This enhances its utility for back and limb rehabilitation.
Currently the XoRehab is priced between ₹85,000 and ₹90,000 for the hospitals. Patients can rent it from the hospitals at affordable rates. This is believed to make advanced rehabilitation more accessible.
The device use Surface EMG, which is a non-invasive technique for recording electrical activity in muscles. It diagnoses and treats neuromuscular disorders. It is beneficial as it avoids the risks associated with invasive methods. It detects muscle activity during movements. It is highly used in sports science and therapy.
