Upper Extremity Exoskeleton for Robot-Aided Rehabilitation

摘要

This article discusses development of upper extremity exoskeleton devices for robot-aided rehabilitation. Neurological injuries, including stroke and spinal cord injury, typically result in significant motor impairments. These impairments negatively impact an individual’s movement coordination, in turn affecting their ability to function independently. Exoskeleton type devices are now being developed to isolate the motion of individual joints. These devices tend to have higher complexity and reduced range of motion as compared to endpoint manipulators, but they target more selectively the desired joint(s), and they enable more precise data collection about the motion of the patient's limb. Recent designs have focused on systems that match the full range of motion of the targeted joints, aiming towards actuated systems that have both high torque output, to assist patients with muscle tone, and low intrinsic impedance, to minimally perturb independent arm movements. Satisfying all of these requirements while simultaneously maintaining a high priority on patient safety is still an active area of research.