A Brief Review of Rehabilitation Wearable Robots for the Upper and Lower Limbs

Abstract

Many diseases, such as stroke, physical disability in the elderly, work injuries, and sports injuries can lead to weak limbs. Stroke is one of the main reasons for long-range disability, especially upper limb disability, that affects the activities of daily living (ADL) of individuals. Rehabilitation, such as manually assisted training or physical therapy that involves repeatedly moving the affected limb, is one of the most successful ways to reduce the effects of stroke. However, patients may be prevented from attending a clinic for rehabilitation for many different reasons, so researchers have developed robotic devices that can help in rehabilitation, enabling patients to perform repetitive movements at home with appropriate accuracy. These wearable robots (WR) must be smart, reliable, compatible, light, and functional for the safety of the user and must provide the appropriate support. This paper describes wearable devices, including rigid wearable devices and soft wearable devices, and some of their uses, especially in rehabilitation. It presents a summary of the designs used for the rehabilitation of the lower and upper limbs, especially the hand, which is the organ that is used most often in daily activities. The materials used in the manufacture of gloves that are used to rehabilitate the hand must be taken into account, and the size and weight of the glove must be suitable so that the user can wear and remove it easily.