Robohood for Rehabilitation: How Painting Technology and Robot Helped an Artist with Cerebral Palsy to Paint

By Vladimir Tsimberg

With each passing year, robots and artificial intelligence (AI) are becoming more integrated into medicine, helping doctors diagnose diseases and treat patients. AI is being used to speed up processes and research, and advances in robotics have already impacted the precision of surgical procedures. Many devices have emerged to make life easier for both patients and healthcare professionals, from courier robots that deliver medications to hospital wards to molecular-sized nanobots that can diagnose and treat cancer.

However, a growing number of robots are making their mark in rehabilitation. They help patients recover not only physically but also psychologically and are becoming a crucial part of modern medical practice.

My name is Vladimir Tsimberg; I am a physician and the founder of Robohood Inс. We developed a technology that allows a robotic manipulator to create real paintings with brushes and paints on various surfaces. In this article, I would like to share our experience of how robots can contribute to the rehabilitation of patients with congenital and/or acquired disabilities.

When we created Robohood, our principal goal was to give everyone the opportunity to paint, even without an artistic background. The desire to express creative abilities exists in all of us. For some, it appears in childhood, leading them to art school and a life intertwined with the arts. For others, the desire arises at a conscious age, when acquiring painting skills becomes more challenging. In such situations, a robot comes to the rescue, becoming an additional tool for creativity. Like a magical automated brush, it can do some of the work and facilitate the painting process, helping people in self-realization and bringing their ideas to life.

There is another category of people who want to create but are prevented by their physical characteristics. These are people with congenital and acquired disabilities, such as cerebral palsy, chromosomal and genetic diseases, survivors of strokes, accidents, and other events that have caused significant health problems. They need not only physical recovery but also psychological support. This motivated Robohood to explore how robots could use our technology to assist in rehabilitating such patients.

This is how Pavel Ivanov, who has cerebral palsy, joined our project. Before he had a robot, Pavel had never painted. Patients with cerebral palsy find it challenging to create paintings and creativity because of their physical abilities. It is difficult for them to mix colors, hold brushes, and apply strokes, but Pavel started painting with the robot that could literally replace his hands to do all the above manipulations for him. However, the lack of artistic skills does not become a barrier, as the robot allows anyone without experience to paint.

When Pavel worked with the robot, he acted as the leader of the entire artistic process. He would select a photograph or use the built-in neural network to generate an image, then customize it as he wished. He chose the palette, the colors, and the painting style. The robot offered many variations of the final artwork, allowing creativity without limits. The choice is entirely up to the artist. Before transferring the image to the canvas, Pavel checked how it would look. If he didn’t like what the program suggested, he would ask the robot to redo it. Pavel had to supervise its work to make sure, as he put it, that the robot didn’t ruin the painting.

Pavel was fully involved in the process: he created the idea and concept of the painting while the robot took care of the execution, much like an apprentice in the studios of Rubens, Rembrandt, Jeff Koons, or Damien Hirst.

When we presented our project to the professional community at a forum discussing new methods of treating and rehabilitating patients with cerebral palsy (CP) and shared the unique painting experience with a robot, experts noticed Pavel’s enthusiastic eyes as he talked about his passion. Medical centers became interested in the development, recognizing it as a comprehensive rehabilitation approach that opens up new possibilities for people with disabilities.

Traditional art therapy methods can be challenging for people with CP because they do not provide complete autonomy and creative freedom, limiting the patient’s control over the artistic process. Difficulties with such rehabilitation methods can diminish the positive effects. Robohood created a unique solution that technically enhances the field of art therapy, making it more accessible to a broader audience.

Pavel gained confidence and a sense of calm as he interacted with the Robotic Artist. Drawing became a source of joy and inspiration for him. His skills improved with each new artwork—he completed one a week. He worked closely with the programmers, reporting problems with the robot's performance like QA engineers providing feedback. Beyond the creative aspect, painting with the robot also engaged Pavel's cognitive functions, as explaining malfunctions clearly requires full mental engagement.

Pavel describes his experience with the robot manipulator as follows: “Through my example, I want to show people with limited abilities they can achieve a lot. Yes, we are different, but with technological advances, we can paint in the modern world! The robot allowed me to create, express myself, and do something interesting and exciting.”

The World Health Organization (WHO) now estimates* that approximately 2.5 billion people worldwide could benefit from rehabilitation to improve their health. Of these, more than 400 million are people with disabilities. Psychological rehabilitation for people with disabilities aims to help them find the support and social skills they need to live full, satisfying lives.

The global rehabilitation robot market is growing yearly, and Global Industry Analysts forecast significant growth over the coming decades. They are expected to reach $2 billion by 2035. Research Nester attributes this growing demand for rehabilitation to changes in health conditions and population characteristics. For example, people are living longer with more chronic diseases and disabilities. Japanese companies are increasingly investing in the development of robots to assist the older adult population. The country has a document called “Science and Technology Planning,” which calls for collaboration among the entire population, including the government, citizens, scientists, developers, and industry, to address societal issues.

While widespread adoption of robotic technologies may still be some time away, we must prepare to integrate robotics with artificial intelligence as a full-fledged part of the healthcare system and our lives. Robohood is actively working on expanding the application of its technology in rehabilitation. Collaboration with medical centers interested in using the Robotic Artist could increase the effectiveness of the recovery process and improve the quality of life for many people with various health limitations.

We believe this will enable the creation of an accessible and effective art therapy practice for everyone. A free person will want to create, as Antoine de Saint-Exupéry wrote. We provide that freedom — a tool for realizing creative potential, personal development, increased self-confidence, discovery of new friends, and socialization.

*According to the WHO Rehabilitation bulletin released in January 2023. Access: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/rehabilitation