Game Development and Robotics for Post-Stroke Functional Recovery

• Grant number: 25/18257-5
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: February 01, 2026
• End date: October 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Biomedical Engineering - Bioengineering
• Principal Investigator: Daniel Seiei Uehara Tamashiro
• Grantee: Daniel Seiei Uehara Tamashiro

Abstract

The Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA) poses a global public¿health challenge, ranking as the third leading cause of death and disability worldwide. In Brazil, its rising prevalence affects over two million people, and research indicates that only about one quarter of survivors actually engage in rehabilitation activities. The monotony of traditional exercises and their heavy reliance on the therapist limit the intensity and repetition required for effective recovery, in addition to imposing high costs and low convenience for both clinics and patients. Although robotics in rehabilitation has advanced, existing solutions are often expensive, fragmented, and lack adaptive gamification to promote lasting engagement. In particular, most available upper¿limb robotic devices focus on elbow and shoulder movements, with a limited offering of technologies aimed at hand¿movement training.Our project proposes an innovative multifunctional pneumatic¿robotics system for post¿stroke recovery. The solution consists of a single central control hardware unit that manages, modularly and adaptively, any one of its pneumatic¿robotic attachments. This system will enable specific, repetitive therapeutic movements to aid rehabilitation. Its configurable design for different therapies and patients will be a key differentiator, allowing adjustment of parameters such as movement intensity, range of motion, and speed according to each user's individual needs and progress.The software will incorporate a camera for posture mapping, which will monitor the user's posture in real time during exercises, provide visual cues about body positioning, enable self¿correction, and ensure that exercises are performed correctly. The system will also integrate multisensory feedback (visual, auditory, and haptic), both for the patient-encouraging self¿efficacy and engagement, and for the therapist, who will be able to track progress and adjust treatment. Unlike generic games, our gamification platform will automatically adapt game difficulty to the patient's clinical performance and progress. This keeps the patient continually challenged and motivated, potentially reducing monotony and dropout rates in rehabilitation.We validated the concept of pneumatic actuation for multiple joints and established the requirements for gamification and biofeedback based on interviews with more than 20 therapists and patients. Thus, the project begins at TRL 2 level. At this point, the idea or application of the technology has been formulated, but it is still based on analytical and theoretical studies, without experimental proof. The project's goal is to advance and reach TRL 4, for both hardware and software. This means integrating the basic components of the technology and demonstrating that they work together. (AU)