KUKA hirob rehabilitation robot mimics movement of a horse to help rider with improvement of motor skills

Rehabilitation robots, such as exoskeletons designed for gait training after a stroke, surgery, or limb injury, as well as companion robots that assist seniors with loneliness and dementia, are helping patients recover from injuries and mobility disorders while ensuring their independence. A new addition to this growing list is creating a buzz online. It’s called hirob, and it is a robotic arm that mimics the motion of a horse to aid in the rehabilitation and improvement of motor functions in patients.

hirob is the brainchild of KUKA, a global robotics developer known for its industrial robots and automation solutions. The horse-inspired robot is based on the company’s industrial robot arm, which has been reworked to replicate the horse’s movement. Provided with a saddle, the patient can sit on and ride hirob to regain their motor skills and mobility.

Designer: KUKA

According to KUKA, hirob system, based on the KR QUANTEC robot arm – originally an industrial go-getter that handles heavy loads – has been trimmed down to simulate the movement of a horse to enhance motor function in patients with neurological conditions or those recovering from surgery or injury. This lends automation and rehabilitation independence to the existing technique called hippotherapy, which involves therapeutic horseback riding as a common way to improve movement and motor function in individuals.

This robotic therapy solution in the form of hirob, thus helps patients improve coordination, balance, and muscle strength in the back, trunk, and pelvic. It depicts the horse’s multi-dimensional walking motion and rhythm, which feels like being on the back of an actual horse, without the risk of falls. The hirob is a secure and risk-free simulation that allows therapists to work with their patients without the danger of falls. Better still is the adjustable intensity of the horse’s movement that therapists can control according to the patients’ requirements.

To this accord, the hirob allows the patient to sit comfortably on its saddle-style seat while the therapist puts the robotic arm below into multi-dimensional movement in the desired intensity using the onboard physical buttons and a small display monitor. The patient, then reacts to these motions and movements of the robotic horse – in the completely controlled environment – so that the neuromuscular system is tiggered much like in the way when someone rides a horse, of course, without the safety and logistical barriers of riding a real horse for hippotherapy which encourages specific pelvic moments to regain motor skills and improve the back posture. Compared to the existing hippotherapy process, the KUKA hirob is cost effective, safe and a more controlled therapy system. Technological advancements are changing the lives of the mobility challenged for the better every day, and the hirob is a good answer to the unasked question, how!

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