Physical therapy carried out by a robot

The LokoMat is a team of Neurorehabilitation which simulates the walking of a patient through a mechanical system very similar to the legs of a robot. With continuous repetitions, this technology provides physical therapy in cases of stroke, injuries of the spinal cord, severe skull-brain trauma, sclerosis or cerebral paralysis.

The machine, valued at USD 1.5 million, is installed in the Department of physiotherapy of the Hospital of the Ecuadorian Institute of Social Security (IESS) located in the Duran canton, Guayas province. Carlos Torres Noe, medical director, explains that 150 patients have benefited since its installation in 2012. “Many arrived in wheelchairs and have managed to walk.”

The session lasts about 10 minutes. The device operates with mechanical orthosis to place the legs and harnesses to lift and then slowly lower the patient on a sliding band.

The physiotherapist Yessenia Triviño explains that the rehabilitation in the LokoMat is shared: 50% the patient and 50% the machine. For the patient to rotate on the screen to the right or left, he should do light movements with his trunk toward the opposite side which he wants to go. The machine will not stop; make the legs move in a normal way”