%0 Journal Article %J Mechanical Engineering %D 2014 %T Upper Extremity Exoskeletons for Robot Aided Rehabilitation %A Sergi,Fabrizio %A Blank,Amy %A O'Malley,Marcia %K 5400:Research & development %K 9190:United States %K Cost reduction %K Engineering–Mechanical Engineering %K Medical research %K Neurological disorders %K Robotics %K United States–US %X

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. Intensively repetitous motion training has proven to restore some motor function after neurological injuries. This training is often labor-intensive and costly. By enabling therapists to train their patients intensively through consistent, repeatable movements, robotic rehabilitation systems offer a cost-effective solution requiring less labor and effort. The design of upper limb robotic therapy devices has been a topic of research for over two decades. Early devices were end-effector based, and guided the motion of a patient's hand to desired positions. Hardware and software designs emphasized the safety of the robotic devices, using control methods specifically designed to ensure safe interaction forces between the user and the device.

%B Mechanical Engineering %V 136 %P S6-S11 %8 09 %@ 00256501 %G eng %U https://search.proquest.com/docview/1559578916?accountid=7064 %> https://mahilab.rice.edu/sites/default/files/publications/sergi2014asmesmall.pdf