The Cognition, Aging and Rehabilitation Lab
Our Projects
Here are some current and past projects in the CAR Lab:
Human-robot interactions
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We are testing how people of different ages and medical conditions respond to gamified interactions with robotics, to better design robot-based therapy interventions
Barriers and facilitators to home physical-therapy exercises
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We report the results of a study with 39 participants (vestibular patients and physical therapists) who participated in focus groups. We provide a set of guidelines for overcoming common barriers to practice.
Link to the article: [LINK]
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Immersive virtual reality preferred over a social robot for short-term cognitive training
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We report the results of a study with 64 participants (young and old) who underwent cognitive training with two platforms: one that evokes spatial presence (immersive VR) and one that evokes social presence (the social EZ robot). We found that 66% of participants, regardless of age, preferred to train with the immersive VR.
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Link to the article: [LINK]
Similarities and differences between perceptions and attitudes of individuals with stroke and their family members towards Socially Assistive Robots
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We report results from 23 individuals (individuals with stroke, and family members) on their perceptions and attitudes towards using a socially assistive robot for post-stroke rehabilitation. (On the right: the effort, in terms of driving minutes, family members are willing to put into driving to rehabilitatiosessions with a robot.
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Link to the article: [LINK]
Long-term robot-based rehabilitation post-stroke: Methodology &​ usability
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We report the methodology and results of a patient-usability study with 24 post-stroke patients who used the rehabilitation platform we developed in a clinic. The users underwent a 5-7-week intervention (2-3 sessions/week for a total of 15 sessions per patient).
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Link to the article: [LINK]
Touching the robot PARO reduces pain perception and oxytocin levels​
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83 young healthy individuals participated in this study. The group that interacted with the robot reported increased levels of happiness, and had lower levels of salivary oxytocin. Their pain perception was significantly reduced when they touched the robot.
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Link to the article: [LINK]
Long-term robot-based rehabilitation post-stroke: focus groups & POC​
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We conducted focus groups with clinicians who work with stroke patients, and implemented their feedback into the robot-based system, which we deployed in a clinic. We reported the results of 4 stroke patients who underwent a 5-week intervention (3 sessions/week for a total of 15 sessions per patient).
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Link to the article: [LINK]
A machine-learning algorithm for auto detection of movement compensations in stroke patients​
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We built a machine-learning based algorithm to automatically detect movement compensations in stroke patients, based on movement data we collected from 30 stroke patients. The algorithm can detect 6 movement compensations (e.g., elevation of the shoulder) with an average accuracy of 85%. The ultimate goal of this algorithm is its use for practicing rehab exercises, with accurate feedback, in between sessions with a therapist
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Link to the article: [authors' PDF]
Tic Tac Toe for rehab
We designed a functional Tic Tac Toe game, where participants place cups on a shelf grid, and play against an embodied robot.
We tested how embodiment affects the movement and motivation of young and old healthy individuals.
We found the movement of the participants was primed by the robotic movement.
Link to the article: [LINK]
Motor-cognitive training for rehab
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We also designed a functional motor-cognitive game for post-stroke rehabilitation, where participants order cups on a table, based on an image presented by a robot or a computer screen. We tested how embodiment of the humanoid robot and age of participants affected preferences and performance.
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Link to the article: [LINK]
Playing the mirror game with a robotic arm for rehab
We found how playing the mirror game with a robotic arm creates a priming effect: the participants' movements (when they lead the game) are influenced by the robotic arm's movements (when it leads). This can be used to help people with movement limitations work on their range of motion.
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Link to the article: [LINK]
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Parkinson's disease
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We're studying the ability of PD patients to switch between implicitly specified motor tasks. Watch the video demonstrating the experimental paradigm:
Link to the article: [LINK]
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Predictive control
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We have developed a paradigm to test how people switch proactively between movement types.
Watch a video about our predictive control paradigm: