Abstract
The existing shortage of therapists and caregivers assisting physically disabled individuals at home is expected to increase and become serious problem in the near future. The patient population needing physical rehabilitation of the upper extremity is also constantly increasing. Robotic devices have the potential to address this problem as noted by the results of recent research studies. However, the availability of these devices in clinical settings is limited, leaving plenty of room for improvement. The purpose of this paper is to document a review of robotic devices for upper limb rehabilitation including those in developing phase in order to provide a comprehensive reference about existing solutions and facilitate the development of new and improved devices. In particular the following issues are discussed: application field, target group, type of assistance, mechanical design, control strategy and clinical evaluation. This paper also includes a comprehensive, tabulated comparison of technical solutions implemented in various systems.
Highlights
An individual’s capacity to move is necessary to perform basic activities of daily living (ADL)
In addition and due to economical reasons, the duration of primary rehabilitation is getting shorter and shorter [4]. These problems will probably exacerbate in the future as life expectancy continues to increase accompanied by the prevalence of both moderate and severe motor disabilities in the elderly population [5] and increasing their need of physical assistance
I.e. ArmeoSpring based on T-WREX system, the description of the predecessors is not provided elsewhere in the table because we found no significant differences between the predecessors and their commercial versions
Summary
An individual’s capacity to move is necessary to perform basic activities of daily living (ADL). Positive outcome of physical rehabilitation, in the case of neurologically based disorders, depends heavily on: onset, duration, intensity and taskorientation of the training [1,2], as well as the patient’s health condition, attention and effort [3]. In addition and due to economical reasons, the duration of primary rehabilitation is getting shorter and shorter [4]. These problems will probably exacerbate in the future as life expectancy continues to increase accompanied by the prevalence of both moderate and severe motor disabilities in the elderly population [5] and increasing their need of physical assistance.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
