The design of Lil’Flo, a socially assistive robot for upper extremity motor assessment and rehabilitation in the community via telepresence

Abstract Introduction We present Lil’Flo, a socially assistive robotic telerehabilitation system for deployment in the community. As shortages in rehabilitation professionals increase, especially in rural areas, there is a growing need to deliver care in the communities where patients live, work, learn, and play. Traditional telepresence, while useful, fails to deliver the rich interactions and data needed for motor rehabilitation and assessment. Methods From prior work, we have developed design requirements for a socially assistive robot for upper extremity motor assessment and rehabilitation via telepresence. We designed Lil’Flo, targeted towards pediatric patients with cerebral palsy and brachial plexus injuries. The system combines traditional telepresence and computer vision with a humanoid, who can play games with patients and guide them in a present and engaging way under the supervision of a remote clinician. Results The humanoid’s arms have sufficient range of motion, and the face is able to communicate several emotions clearly. The system is portable, extensible, and cheaper than our prior iteration. A simple web interface allows operators to focus on interactions while the computer vision system stores data for analysis. Conclusions Lil’Flo represents a novel approach to delivering rehabilitation care in the community while maintaining the clinician-patient connection.