Abstract
Given the escalating unmet demand for physical rehabilitation due to the growing global aging population and the effects of the coronavirus COVID-19 including increased incidents of stroke, hospital bed shortages, and clinics closures, robotic telerehabilitation is an emerging, timely, and crucial technology. Rehabilitating the upper limbs of affected patients is of upmost importance for restoring physical function and lighten the societal burden due to disabilities. So far, the majority of the research in robotic telerehabilitation for upper limbs has been performed with end-effector-type assistive robots; however, the use of robotic exoskeletons has significant and distinctive benefits. Although there are surveys written about control methods for upper limb robotic exoskeletons and other surveys written about bilateral teleoperation control methods, there are no surveys written specifically about telerehabilitation control methods for upper limbs using robotic exoskeletons. As a result, this article reviews the state-of-the-art control strategies including various advanced linear and nonlinear control approaches for upper limb rehabilitation robotic exoskeletons, bilateral teleoperation, and several state-of-the-art telerehabilitation applications with upper limb robotic exoskeletons. The benefits, drawbacks, challenges, and future directions of existing methodologies are extensively discussed. This article offers a comprehensive overview and insight for new researchers in the area of telerehabilitation robotic exoskeletons.
Highlights
The worldwide senior population is expected to more than double in the three decades [1] and with this increase, an unprecedented surge is predicted in aging-related motorimpairment diseases such as stroke, injuries and myriad neurological disorders causing – among other things - upperlimb mobility disfunctions requiring physical rehabilitation
The novelty and contributions of this paper are that different from previous work, here we look at control methods used in upper limb telerehabilitation applications that are using robotic exoskeletons
LITERATURE SEARCH METHODOLOGY There are three distinctive control method applications studied in this paper: upper limb rehabilitation robotic exoskeleton control methods, teleoperation control methods, and upper limb telerehabilitation robotic exoskeleton control methods
Summary
The worldwide senior population is expected to more than double in the three decades [1] and with this increase, an unprecedented surge is predicted in aging-related motorimpairment diseases such as stroke, injuries and myriad neurological disorders causing – among other things - upperlimb mobility disfunctions requiring physical rehabilitation. Robotic telerehabilitation can be used to address the need for a physiotherapist to deliver physical guidance and interaction in order to assist patients with compromised mobility during the current pandemic and to address the preexisting escalating demand for physiotherapy [15]. This technology is ideal for patients who are house-bound or live in remote areas where there are no rehabilitation clinics [16]. The novelty and contributions of this paper are that different from previous work, here we look at control methods used in upper limb telerehabilitation applications that are using robotic exoskeletons.
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