Wearable Robotics for Upper-Limb Rehabilitation and Assistance

A significant fraction of the world population is plagued by neuromuscular disorders which have no cure other than symptomatic management. An increasingly aging world population would inevitably lead to a further rise in these numbers. The management of the manifestations of many neuromuscular diseases ranging from Parkinson’s disease to stroke has been an active research topic in robotics since the 1960s. Pivotal advances in sensing, actuation, energy sources, and computing technologies have facilitated an increased penetration of wearable robotics into patient rehabilitation and assistance. Furthermore, breakthroughs in research areas including material sciences and new actuation schemes are further accelerating the development of wearable robotics. The purpose of this chapter is to provide a review of robotic devices for upper-limb rehabilitation and assistance. A discussion of the state-of-the-art in design, actuation, and intention-sensing technologies is presented. The chapter also outlines challenges hindering the clinical translation of these technologies and highlights future research opportunities.