Seongdong-gu Begins Intensive Rehabilitation Treatment for Disabled with 'Robot Rehabilitation Device'

Introduction of Robot Rehabilitation Therapy Devices for Upper Limb Disabled from the End of This Month

The subject is receiving physical therapy using a robotic rehabilitation device with game training content.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jeong Won-oh) will introduce the robotic rehabilitation device ‘Smart Glove’ at the end of this month and begin intensive robotic rehabilitation therapy for local residents with upper limb disabilities.

The ‘Smart Glove’ is a hand rehabilitation device developed for the rehabilitation of the hand and arm, providing visual data of the training process and enabling rehabilitation training of finger, wrist, and forearm functions through various training games.

Unlike traditional therapy that relied entirely on the therapist’s skills, it helps patients engage in repetitive training, which is important in rehabilitation, with interest, induces patients’ own movements, and reduces the workload of occupational therapists, thereby providing patients with more treatment opportunities.

The district noted that most rehabilitation treatments in Korea are conducted through inpatient care, resulting in high social costs, and that patients who return to the community after discharge often suffer from functional decline and pain due to lack of treatment options.

In January of this year, the district introduced the ‘Smart Glove’ on a trial basis for one month, confirmed high patient satisfaction and treatment effectiveness, and applied together with Seongdong Rehabilitation Clinic for the ‘Robot Utilization Socially Vulnerable Benefit Support Project’ conducted by the Robot Development Promotion Agency, being selected this month.

The robotic rehabilitation device selected through the contest will be installed at Seongdong Rehabilitation Clinic, and from the end of this month, intensive and continuous treatment and management through the robotic rehabilitation device will accelerate rehabilitation treatment for people with disabilities without any additional usage fees, a district official explained.

A, who developed a functional disability in the right hand due to an accident, said, “I visited Seongdong Rehabilitation Clinic for regular treatment, and when the therapist recommended wearing the Smart Glove, it was fun like a game, so it wasn’t boring.”

Jeong Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, “An essential condition for enhancing the sustainability of a city is ‘inclusiveness,’” adding, “We will continue to apply smart technologies such as robotic rehabilitation devices in various fields so that socially vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities and the elderly can easily use them.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.