WS14: HYDROTHERABOTS: HYDROTHERApy using RoBOTS, AI, and VR Technologies for Physical Rehabilitation (2nd Edition)
Contact: gokce.yilmaz@tedu.edu.tr
Date: 3 Jul 2026
Time: 09:00 – 12:00
Location: Workshop Room 4
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Workshop Description and Objectives
Stroke remains one of the leading causes of long-term disability worldwide, underscoring the urgent need for innovative rehabilitation technologies. Hydrotherapy has long been recognized for its therapeutic benefits in stroke recovery; however, accessibility and personalization challenges persist.
This workshop presents HydroTheraBots, an advanced robotic hydrotherapy system developed to transform traditional stroke rehabilitation practices. By integrating a robotic gait-training platform with an intelligent sensor framework, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and immersive Virtual Reality (VR) modules, HydroTheraBots delivers adaptive, efficient, and patient-centered rehabilitation experiences tailored to the needs of senior stroke survivors.
Participants will engage with the system’s interdisciplinary design from the mechatronic architecture of the ground-based gait rehabilitation platform to the biomechanical principles governing underwater locomotion. The workshop will also highlight how AI algorithms and real-time data analytics enable dynamic adjustment of therapy parameters, ensuring optimal outcomes and patient safety.
Moreover, attendees will explore emerging trends at the intersection of robotics, hydrotherapy, AI, and VR that enhance motivation, engagement, and long-term recovery potential in neurological rehabilitation.
Workshop Structure
The workshop will focus on the key themes;
Personalization and Customization: To explore how robotic systems can be personalized and customized for individual needs.
Ground-based System Development: To explore the mechatronic design of the ground-based gait rehabilitation system relying on the use of haptic interaction with a VR environment and sensorimotor learning-based approach.
Biomechanics for Hydrotherabots: To examine biomechanics of underwater movements for Hydrotherabots.
Future Trends and Innovations: To examine emerging trends in hydrotherapy, including the use of AI and VR to enhance senior patient engagement and outcomes
The workshop will feature a highly interactive format designed to promote collaboration and exchange between robotics experts, clinicians, and early-career researchers. Activities will include themed presentations by invited speakers, dynamic roundtable discussions, collaborative group exercises, and structured feedback sessions.
Interactive presentations will combine visually compelling slides, real-time system demonstrations, and live data visualizations illustrating the integration of robotics, AI, and human-centered design in rehabilitation. Engaging Q&A sessions will encourage participants to explore the social, ethical, and technical dimensions of intelligent rehabilitation robots.
Roundtable discussions will center on key topics such as adaptive robotic control, embodied intelligence, affective computing, and AI-driven personalization in assistive and therapeutic contexts. Participants will be assigned theme-oriented keywords and mini-tasks to stimulate idea generation and promote collaboration between senior researchers and emerging scholars.
Group activities will include icebreaker exercises and scenario-based design challenges that foster creativity and interdisciplinary thinking. The final feedback session will emphasize constructive peer review, encouraging participants to refine their concepts through expert insights and practical takeaways relevant to future human-centered robotic rehabilitation systems.
Intended Audience and Plans to Solicit Participation:
The intended workshop audience is academics, researchers, industrialists, and stakeholders.
As it is detailed in the workshop structure part, the workshop will focus on soliciting participation within the workshop with interactive presentations, roundtable discussions, icebreakers, and feedback sessions to foster engagement.
List of Topics
Overview of a HydroTheraBots System
Sensor Framework and Data Acquisition for Hydrotherabots
AI for Personalized Rehabilitation
VR Integration into a HydroTheraBots System
Ground-based System Development
Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Protocols
Collaboration and Future Directions