The embodiment of assistive devices—from wheelchair to exoskeleton

Pazzaglia, Mariella; Molinari, Marco

doi:10.1016/j.plrev.2015.11.006

Cited by 105 publications

(87 citation statements)

References 111 publications

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“…When using salient body-assistive tools, the persistent visual motor exposure to an assistive device becomes an important mediator of implicit corporeal knowledge. Expert tool use alters aspects of body representation in both nonhuman primates [30] and human adults [31] and is essential to the injured body in those such as immobile and insentient patients with SCI [32, 33]. The functional normalization of the body with tools prompts feelings of enhanced awareness by way of constant and vigilant visual guidance of the calibration of an insentient body [29, 34], with inevitable implications for the new bodily perspective of altered images of the “body-plus-wheelchair” [35].…”

Section: Visual Input In the Construction Of Body Distortionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plasticity and Awareness of Bodily Distortion

Pazzaglia

Zantedeschi

2016

Neural Plasticity

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Knowledge of the body is filtered by perceptual information, recalibrated through predominantly innate stored information, and neurally mediated by direct sensory motor information. Despite multiple sources, the immediate prediction, construction, and evaluation of one's body are distorted. The origins of such distortions are unclear. In this review, we consider three possible sources of awareness that inform body distortion. First, the precision in the body metric may be based on the sight and positioning sense of a particular body segment. This view provides information on the dual nature of body representation, the reliability of a conscious body image, and implicit alterations in the metrics and positional correspondence of body parts. Second, body awareness may reflect an innate organizational experience of unity and continuity in the brain, with no strong isomorphism to body morphology. Third, body awareness may be based on efferent/afferent neural signals, suggesting that major body distortions may result from changes in neural sensorimotor experiences. All these views can be supported empirically, suggesting that body awareness is synthesized from multimodal integration and the temporal constancy of multiple body representations. For each of these views, we briefly discuss abnormalities and therapeutic strategies for correcting the bodily distortions in various clinical disorders.

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Section: Visual Input In the Construction Of Body Distortionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plasticity and Awareness of Bodily Distortion

Pazzaglia

Zantedeschi

2016

Neural Plasticity

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“…At a physical level, assistive robot interventions can maintain body movement and provide motivation for older adults to remain active. At a social level, when users are able to respond and make eye contact as a result of being upright, it may result in greater autonomy and independence as they participate in social and leisure activities, thus reducing the likelihood of depression or social isolation [18,19]. There is a significant market, and strong social and design opportunities for assistive consumer exoskeletons that can support older adults and enhance quality of life [10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Gerontechnology is intended to deliver solutions that impact and assist older adults as they engage with technologies to maintain or improve health and independent living [19]. From a design perspective, gerontechnology relates to understanding older adults' experiences and barriers to using technologies.…”

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confidence: 99%

Technology Acceptance and User-Centred Design of Assistive Exoskeletons for Older Adults: A Commentary

et al. 2018

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Assistive robots are emerging as technologies that enable older adults to perform activities of daily living with autonomy. Exoskeletons are a subset of assistive robots that can support mobility. Perceptions and acceptance of these technologies require understanding in a user-centred design context to ensure optimum experience and adoption by as broad a spectrum of older adults as possible. The adoption and use of assistive robots for activities of daily living (ADL) by older adults is poorly understood. Older adult acceptance of technology is affected by numerous factors, such as perceptions and stigma associated with dependency and ageing. Assistive technology (AT) models provide theoretical frameworks that inform decision-making in relation to assistive devices for people with disabilities. However, technology acceptance models (TAMs) are theoretical explanations of factors that influence why users adopt some technologies and not others. Recent models have emerged specifically describing technology acceptance by older adults. In the context of exoskeleton design, these models could influence design approaches. This article will discuss a selection of TAMs, displaying a chronology that highlights their evolution, and two prioritised TAMs-Almere and the senior technology acceptance model (STAM)-that merit consideration when attempting to understand acceptance and use of assistive robots by older adults.

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“…Rapid technological advances will continue to fuel this field for years to come. As Pazzaglia and Molinari [2] rightly point out, progress in this domain should not solely be driven by engineering prowess, but utilize the increasing psychological and neuroscientific understanding of cortical body-representations and their plasticity [3].…”

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confidence: 99%