Neuro-Robotics & Cybernics Rehabilitation

Social Security Organization (SOCSO) in collaboration with Cyberdyne Inc. Japan have successfully established the first Neuro-Robotics Rehabilitation & Cybernics Centre in Malaysia at SOCSO Tun Razak Rehabilitation Centre, Melaka. This centre is equipped with HAL® (Hybrid Assistive Limb) Robot Suit, the latest neurorobotic technology equipment from Cyberdyne Inc. Japan.

HAL® Robot Suit is the world's first cyborg-type robot that was invented by Prof. Dr. Yoshiyuki Sankai, Chief Executive Officer of Cyberdyne Inc. to assist people with paralysis or weakening limbs due to injuries or disorders to the Central Nervous System such as Spinal Cord Injury, Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury, Multiple Sclerosis, and Neurodegenerative Diseases to regain the ability to walk again. The robot suit improves, supports and enhances the wearer’s limb mobility via cybernics technology that combines interactions between man, machine and information.

In a healthy body, each muscle is able to receive signals from the brain and move as strongly and fast as intended. However, injuries to the nervous system (brain and spinal cord) often causes disruptions in signal transmissions from the brain to the muscles that affects movement generation such as walking. In such cases, brain signals sent to the muscles tend to leak on the skin surface as faint signals called “bio-electric signals [BES]”. Cyberdyne HAL® Robot Suit are designed to detect these weak bio-electric signals through the electrodes or detectors attached to the surface of the leg muscles and analyse the signal through the control system on the robot suit. This means that even though the leg muscles cannot respond to the brain signal to walk, the robot suit can accelerate the learning process of the brain and muscles to promote leg movement again. By consolidating various information, HAL® recognizes the range of motions that the wearer intends and assists the wearer‘s intended motions by exerting higher power than he or she ordinarily exerts.

Malaysia is the fourth country in the world and the very first in the ASEAN region to offer the Cyberdyne HAL® services to its clients. Neuro-Robotics Rehabilitation & Cybernics Centre is the biggest operated centre outside of Japan with 72 HAL® Robot Suits.

The Cyberdyne HAL® rehabilitation program involves therapy sessions between 60 to 90 minutes a day, three to five days a week for 12 weeks, depending on the condition and problem of each patient

There are three types of Cyberdyne HAL® rehabilitation treatment available at this centre, HAL® Lower Limb Type, HAL® Single Joint Type and HAL® Lumbar Type. HAL® Lower Limb Type is a robotic suit that helps clients to regain their walking ability while HAL® Single Joint Type is used to strengthen the arm and knee joints. Meanwhile, HAL® Lumbar Type is used to strengthen the lumbar muscles and increase the ability to perform industrial type activities such as lifting loads.

The Cyberdyne HAL® Robot Suit technology gives a more significant impact on the patients to return to work and thus, contribute to the country's development as well as the well-being of the people as a whole.

The SOCSO Neuro-Robotics Rehabilitation & Cybernics Centre will be officiated by YB Minister of Human Resources on May 13, 2019. The officiation ceremony will be held at the SOCSO Tun Razak Rehabilitation Centre and enlivened by invited guests from the Japan Embassy and Cyberdyne Inc. Japan.