Proceedings on Automation in Medical Engineering
Vol. 3 No. 1 (2026): Proc AUTOMED
https://doi.org/10.18416/AUTOMED.2026.2516

18th Interdisciplinary AUTOMED Symposium in Collaboration with the TC Medical Robotics, 2516

Fizzy: The underactuated robotic ball for interactive and engaging rehabilitation

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Nada Ali Ahmed (Institute of Automatic Control, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany), Bart Horstman (1) Cognitive Robotics Department, Human-Robot Interaction Group, Motor Learning and Neurorehabilitation Lab, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands; 2) Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands), Eda Karaosmanoglu (1) Erasmus School of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; 2) Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands), Marco Rozendaal (Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands), Robin Taborsky (Institute of Automatic Control, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany), Maike Stemmler (Institute of Automatic Control, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany), Manon Kok (Delft Center for Systems and Control, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands), Heike Vallery (1) Institute of Automatic Control, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany; 2) Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; 3) Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands)

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Abstract

Maintaining long-term engagement in physical therapy for pediatric and elderly people remains a clinical challenge. This work formally introduces Fizzy, a novel, low-cost, active, spherical robotic platform designed for rehabilitation and preventive healthcare in indoor unsupervised environments, integrating play with targeted exercise. Fizzy utilizes a single-motor, underactuated mechanism, to provide a simpler and more durable alternative to complex multi-actuator robotic ball designs. While this approach maximizes safety and accessibility, it introduces engineering challenges. This work shows the mechanical architecture and outlines the key technical foundations required for therapeutic integration.

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