Biorobotics Abstract

Biorobotics: an Instrument for an Improved Quality of Life.
An Application for the Analysis of Neuromotor Diseases

BIBI ABIDA

Abstract
This paper deals with the developed researches of biorobotics, as an instrument for the
maintenance of the quality of human senses, complete control of the nervous system,
activation of neuron circuits, recovery of damaged neuromotor functions, rehabilitation of
vocal chords, and neuromotor system control following devastating diseases such as
Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
An application of biorobotics is here presented: DDX is an experimental biorobotic system
designed to acquire and provide data about human finger movement, applied in the analysis
of neural disturbances with quantitative evaluation of both response times and dynamic
action of the patient. The goal of the biorobotic system is to measure the response
parameters of a person in front of a “soft touch”, made by his finger in front of a button. It is
now applied in daily clinical activity to diagnose the progression of the Parkinson
pathology.
Keywords: biorobotics, safety, robotics, medical robotics
1 Introduction
This paper deals with the Disease Detector 3 (DD3) that is a fuzzy-based control system for
detection of Parkinson disease.
Today soft computing techniques are used in many application areas thanks to the
evolutionary capabilities of computer technologies. On the other side the development of
internet and satellite communications makes remote diagnosis about people health very
useful and interesting. It could be possible to check people state of health while they are
living their normal life faraway from hospital.
Actual techniques cannot be easier portable, even if they are very reliable. Here, Fuzzy Logic
is exploited in order to obtain an intelligent and reliable detector supported by a very small
and portable machine such as a simple joystick with a few buttons, an LCD display and a
simple interface for remote communication of diagnosis
The control system consists of a small board with an internal fuzzy micro controller capable
of acquiring, throughthe joystick, the well known three basic parameters (reaction, speed and
force) in order to detect the state of health and perform them by fuzzy rules. The resulting
output can be visualized through a display or transmitted by a communication interface.
A prototype has been developed (Fig.1) and it has been experimented in many test. It is also
patented all over the world.
2 Concepts of biorobotics
Biorobotics is a new scientific and technological area, created from a combination of
mechanics, electronics and IT with biology, capable of offering unforeseeable diagnostic
and therapeutic instruments, not only within the healthcare framework but also for an
improved quality of life. The reciprocal sharing of knowledge enables one to evaluate the

actual importance of each single reality, the possibility of using results through elimination
of all mental, logic or behavioural blockages.
Maintenance of the quality of human senses, complete control of the nervous system,
activation of neuron circuits, the development and healing of complex brain functions,
action of the cerebellum, amygdale activity, recovery of damaged neuromotor functions,
rehabilitation of vocal chords, and neuromotor system control following devastating
diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s are just some of the scientific developments
linked to biology and biorobotics.
Medical biorobotics has demonstrated that it is possible to perform surgery not only safely
and with great precision
3 Biorobotics and research
About twenty years ago our laboratory developed a robotic hand and a voice- controlled
robot. In 1985, we also developed a bionic prosthesis with electronic control incorporated in
an artificial limb. Five years ago we developed a dummy for cardiac simulation purposes, and
data acquisition systems involving neuromotor control which, thanks to biorobotics, have
now become a major European project (the operating system is shown in figure 1). Thanks to
remote-control in telerobotics, we have been able to study the influence of distance on the
actions of human control and sensory retroaction. Based on the experience acquired, we can
affirm that biorobotics is set to initiate an open, transparent and positive relationship with
medicine, and with biology in particular.
Additionally, it will benefit all sciences targeted at quality of life, treatment of the human and
non-human body, and knowledge of cells and vital functions.

Fig. 1 - Biorobotic system with microchip and the use of fuzzy logic, with the evaluation of
neuromotor performance for application in the diagnosis and cure of Parkinson’s disease.
Nowadays, thanks not only to the wisdom of knowledge and science, but also the constant
development of new schools of thought and various initiatives, man’s sense of the divine is
becoming increasingly mysterious.
4 Applicative solution : DDX system
Today, thanks to the evolutionary capabilities of computer technologies, soft computing
techniques are used in many application areas. On the other hand, the development of
internet and satellite communications makes remote health diagnosis very useful and
interesting. It could be possible to check individual states of health whilst they are leading
their normal lives faraway from hospital structures.
DDX is an experimental biorobotic system designed to acquire and provide data about
human finger movement, applied in the analysis of neural disturbances with quantitative

evaluation of both response times and dynamic action of the patient. The goal of the
biorobotic system is to measure the response parameters of a person in front of a “soft
touch”, made by his finger in front of a button. It is now applied in daily clinical activity to
diagnose the progression of the Parkinson pathology.
Robotic premises involved in the DDX biorobotic system development are:
- use of the basic concepts of multifinger robotic hand.
- adoption of robotic control fundamentals in the software of the first mechanical hand;
- integration of mechanical principles in biology from the determination of the biocontrol
of the system;
- use of biorobotic principles together with robotic loop
in the human and mechanical finger motion.
Figure 2 shows a human hand (on the right) which control a robotic hand (on the left): the
basic principles of DDX for the measurement of reaction time of the person in fron of a
control signal are performed.
The biorobotic concepts are involved :
- in the design of the biorobotic device, which is included in a biofeedback circuit, made
by some sensors, a computer and the human person with the motion of his finger;

Figure 2 - A human hand (on the right) is controlling a robotic hand (on the left)
-

in the measurement of force, velocity and power, for the performance evaluation;
in the principle of external and internal sensors in the biorobotic device, which integrates
the human hand action and the brain activity in the electronic circuit of the system.

5 Software Development of DDX

The target is the realization of a portable, user-friendly biorobotic system, like a mobile
phone, with more efficient diagnostic results in order to gain advantages compared to existing
detection systems. The ability to hold the joystick with a single hand is the fundamental
aspect of this system.
6 Protocols for the measurement
The protocols for a “soft touch” of the biorobotic miniaturized system are two:
- Fast Movement: the person must press the push-button as quickly as possible, thus
measuring the instant of "initial pressure" and, at the end of the run, measures the soft touch
force and the moment of test end. In this way the speed, the force and the time of reaction
can be found.
- Virtual Movement: on a display, the person is asked to follow a virtual image relating to
each moment of the test: initial pressure, race end and the pressure used in the hit are
acquired identically to the previous protocol.
This choice is also ideal for detecting tremor - a typical characteristic of many subjects
affected by Parkinson’s disease. A patient’s state of health may be tested daily.
7 Technical architecture of the working system DDX
Parameters are acquired from the button, these are: reaction time (defined as the delay time
from acoustic signal of buzzer to the starting of pressure), speed (calculated from the starting
point to the end point hitting the button), force (by using a strain gauge) and time delay of
voice response.
The tremor sensor is a sensor which measures vibrations of the wrist of the hand and is
located inside the joystick in order to amplify the patient motion. Initially, theprocessor
transmits an impulse (like an attention warning) to the buzzer and the timer starts.
It begins the sampling and after a random interval, sends another impulse to the buzzer (in
order to obtain the start warning trials). The value of the timer is stored as variable tj. When
the patient has pressed the push -button this sends the beacon of beginning pressure, and the
value of the timer is assigned to variable ti. This time is what we call the reaction time. At the
end of the movement stroke, a beacon signifying race-end is sent, and the value of the timer
is assigned as variable tf. The speed of patient motion can be calculated from these times.
When the stroke ends, the pressure is calculated using a simple circuit based on a strain
gauge, a filter, an amplifier, and an A/D converter. Tremor is acquired by a simple routine
which reads data from the switching accelerometer on an I/O pin.
In order to avoid putting patients off, the color scheme has been altered accordingly.
Even if, generally speaking, the design study is the last part of a typical project, in this case it
is developed in parallel to the electronic system.
8 Biocontrol and biofeedback circuit
Figure 3 schematically shows how the biorobotic system assesses a disease in terms of
kinematics parameters.

Figure 3 Description of the biorobotic system
The same functions for each fuzzy set (reaction time, speed and force) have been used, they
are: low, medium-low, medium, medium-fast, fast.
Disease advancement is obtained by processing fuzzy rules in relation to tremor information,
acquired by applying a different set of fuzzy rules to tremor data.
The block (1) is the press button. This is the input patient interface and its function is to
capture indirectly three basic pieces of diagnostic information: response time, speed and
finger-tip pressure. Essentially, it captures the start time of button pressure, its end time, and
the force employed (using a strain gauge).
The analogue force signal is first amplified in block (2), after it is filtered by block (3), and
then converted in 8-bit digital form by block (4). All three data are collated from block (6)
which is the heart of the system, and directs information flow to, and between, peripherals.
Blocks(5,8) represent the medical operator interface for giving commands reading outputs.
Block (6) manages all information and stores it in block (11) if necessary. Tremor is also
measured by a very cheap switch accelerometer known as a “Tremor Sensor”.
Block (10) applies fuzzy rules to acquired data and returns diagnostic results to a display (5).
The audio unit, composed of a simple buzzer, is used to synchronize patient actions in
relation to the kind of test. The control system of the biorobotic DDX consists of a small
board with an internal fuzzy micro-controller capable of acquiring (by means of the joystick)
the basic parameters (reaction, speed, force of the finger and voice response) in order to
detect state of health, enacting them according to fuzzy rules. The resulting output may be
consulted by means of a display, or transmitted via communication interface.
9 Electronic circuit
The electronic circuit is composed of:
a digital display LCD (twelve characters in two columns),
four keys for managing a menu navigator similar to that of a mobile phone menu,
an OK key to confirm,
a menu key in order to return to the main menu,
a buzzer for the acoustic beep,
a load cell by strain gauges with its amplifier.
By pressing the button three beacons are sent:
Start pressure beacon

Race-end beacon
Force beacon
10 Advantages
With these basic fundamentals, we present an innovative biorobotic system for Parkinson’s
disease detection, with systems of detection reliable and portable.
The solution proposed, using principles of biorobotics, offers the advantages of portability
without any loss of diagnosis efficiency.
Also provided is an ability to transfer diagnoses through a remote communication interface in
order to monitor daily the state of health of a patient.
The system is an intelligent biorobotic system based on soft computing techniques and, as
such, its efficiency may be improved via extended function calibration or by improving
response correctness with self-learning techniques.
The biorobotic system is also carrying a word recognition block in order to improve its
functionality and efficiency.
Conclusion
The system is an intelligent biorobotic system based on soft computing techniques and, as
such, its efficiency maybe improved via extended function calibration or by improving
response correctness with self-learning techniques. Daphne device allows to obtain a
quantitative and exact measure of the neuromotor health condition of a person and of it
reflects very well the psychological condition.The application to the diagnosis of the
Parkinson’s disease was the first result of this system.
References
 Rovetta , A. Cucè , D. Platania ,C. Solenghi,” New equipment for the detection of the
neuromotor diseases and efficiencies in the motion control”.


Eduardo Tolosa, GregorWenning, Werner Poewe, “The diagnosis of Parkinson’s
disease”,2006.



W. Richards, “Natural Computation”, Mit Press,1998



http://sitesearch.alz.org



http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0049051/



http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/motor_neuron_diseases/



http://www.emedicinehealth.com/



www.alz.org/gmc

Biorobotics Abstract

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