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Double Rehabilitation Without More Therapists? Hwaseong Adds Two Advanced Gait Rehabilitation Robots

RoboticsOctober 28, 20261 min read

Hwaseong City in Gyeonggi Province is adding two advanced walking-rehab robots. The goal is to train more disabled people to walk without hiring more therapists.

What happened

Hwaseong Special City will bring in two new rehabilitation robots to expand walking training for disabled people. The city won government funding through a national robot project. The robots are called 'MorningWork,' and each of two welfare centers will get one. The robots adjust step length and speed to each user's body and walking ability.

Key numbers

The city won 350 million won (about 35 crore won equivalent is not needed; keep to figure) in national funding.
Total project cost is 700 million won, including city money.
Two robots, one for each of two welfare centers.
Before, one therapist helped one user. With the robots, one therapist may help two users.
About 150 people joined a robot race event on May 27 (held in the Dongtan welfare center gym).

Background

The two centers added a leg rehab robot in 2019. Since then, they have added walking and arm rehab robots and home rehab devices. The MorningWork robot lets a user sit while their weight is supported, while foot plates move to train walking. It can set walking patterns for the left and right feet separately. It also supports virtual reality (VR) games for training.

Why it matters

The city hopes to double rehab services without adding staff. This could help more disabled people get training close to home. The city says the robots can help people return to daily life and live more independently.

What to watch

How many more users the two centers serve after the robots start running.
Whether the robots work well with the centers' existing equipment.
How the city links AI and robot tools with local health care in the future.

Glossary

MorningWork: A walking-rehab robot made by Curexo that helps users practice walking while sitting and supported.

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