Wearable robotics for rehabilitation

Robots have become an integral part of modern industrial manufacturing. In healthcare, the impact of robotic devices has not yet been established but there has been considerable discussion on their use as assistive devices and as products or systems that aid in rehabilitation of disabled people. I will technically investigate the current state-of-art wearable robotic devices in relation to physical rehabilitation and use of robots as assistive technology. Assistive technology is defined as use of a device to replace or to substitute function of missing limb of the user, and rehabilitation technology is the robotic device that should improve the individual's recovery of function. Wearable robots are generally electro-mechanical devices that are fitted to the user to facilitate rehabilitation or to allow the user to retrieve a lost or diminished capacity for purposeful movement. Wearable robots can be used either as an orthotic device; in case of dysfunction of limbs or as a prosthetic device that compensates for missing limbs following amputation. The challenges for the breakthrough of robotics into modern healthcare will be related to providing superior user interaction, ease of use and training and above all better functional outcome over that achievable by conventional rehabilitation methods or non-robotic assistive technologies. The project will review current commercial and disclosed research devices associated with upper limb and lower limb function. The field will be divided into functional categories related to reaching and grasping and standing and walking in exoskeleton and prosthetic devices. A key aspect of the review will focus on the mechanics and control approaches used to allow the user to train within a robotic system or control it to perform a task. The report will also critically look at solutions offered in relation to wearability, comfort and safety of use and the intended patient groups. Examples of the type of devices that will be included in the report are recent exoskeletons such as ReWalk from Argo Medical Technology, wearable walking robots such as KineAssist, MoonWalker as well as the more established body weight support treadmill training devices such as the Lokomat by Hocoma.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

msc

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

masters-pg

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of Strathclyde

Year dc:date.issued

2012

Author dc:creator

• Bhavsar, Dip

DOI

10.48730/4d2y-3z90

Identifier

T13239

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:strathclyde:bv73c042m