THE PROBLEM

Neuro-rehabilitation in pediatric age represents a challenging task in order to allow the recovery of functional motility lost as a consequence of neuromuscular, neurodegenerative and/or congenital brain injuries, head trauma or spinal injuries.

THE CHALLENGE

Rehabilitation performed at an early age allows a partial recovery of motor function. The possibility of anticipating therapies with specific treatments could lay the foundations for a more appropriate functional recovery. The Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital (OPBG) was seeking a solution that would allow it to improve therapeutic efficacy in the context of the neuro-rehabilitation of patients affected by neurological, neuromuscular and musculo-skeletal diseases using robotics and virtual reality. 

THE SOLUTION

While working with Inglobe Technologies, we helped OPBG devise a Robotic and Virtual Reality platform that allows the execution of therapeutic plans that are impossible to implement using traditional approaches. Thanks to the system, the physician can manipulate and monitor the evolution of the rehabilitation tasks in real time while the patient interacts with a robotic platform and at the same time interacts with objects in a virtual environment. 

THE RISKS

The integration between many subsystems and processes was challenging not only from an engineering point of view. It was also important to take into account the ergonomy of the system which by the way is still in a prototype phase. Implementing an interactive and iterative approach in the Design and Development phase and putting together the right team allowed us to overcome all the difficulties.

RESULTS AND BENEFITS

Through our solution we have allowed OPBG to improve on the therapeutic efficacy thus allowing to treat and collect data from a wide variety of cases. We have also helped OPBG set up a project to continue the development and industrialize the product with the help of the italian department of economic development.