An End-Traction Lower Extremity Rehabilitation Robot: Structural Design, Motion Analysis, and Experimental Validation

An end-traction lower extremity rehabilitation robot named ETLER is designed to meet the rehabilitation needs of patients with lower extremity dysfunction at all stages of recovery, while taking into account the ease of operation for the patient. A single robot can meet the needs of a hemiplegic patient on either side for the designed end-change structure. The robots can also be used in pairs for patients with spinal cord injuries. Meanwhile, the adjustable ankle joint limit design provides customized training programs for the ankle joint. To carry out the trajectory planning of the rehabilitation robot, kinematic analysis and control strategy modeling of the robot and human–machine system are carried out. The functionality and universality of the rehabilitation robot are verified through comparative tests.