Wearable upper limb robotics for pervasive health: a review

Abstract

Wearable robotics, also called exoskeletons, have been engineered for human-centered assistance for decades. They provide assistive technologies for maintaining and improving patients’ natural capabilities towards self-independence and also enable new therapy solutions for rehabilitation towards pervasive health. Upper limb exoskeletons can significantly enhance human manipulation with environments, which is crucial to patients’ independence, self-esteem, and quality of life. For long-term use in both in-hospital and at-home settings, there are still needs for new technologies with high comfort, biocompatibility, and operability. The recent progress in soft robotics has initiated soft exoskeletons (also called exosuits), which are based on controllable and compliant materials and structures. Remarkable literature reviews have been performed for rigid exoskeletons ranging from robot design to different practical applications. Due to the emerging state, few have been focused on soft upper limb exoskeletons. This paper aims to provide a systematic review of the recent progress in wearable upper limb robotics including both rigid and soft exoskeletons with a focus on their designs and applications in various pervasive healthcare settings. The technical needs for wearable robots are carefully reviewed and the assistance and rehabilitation that can be enhanced by wearable robotics are particularly discussed. The knowledge from rigid wearable robots may provide practical experience and inspire new ideas for soft exoskeleton designs. We also discuss the challenges and opportunities of wearable assistive robotics for pervasive health.

A Brief Review of Rehabilitation Wearable Robots for the Upper and Lower Limbs

“…Torre et al [36] performed a review to evaluate upper limb spasticity using robotic-based methods. The review by Ochieze et al [37] presented rigid and soft upper limb robots, their designs, and applications in various healthcare settings and discussed the technical requirements for these robots. Vatan et al [15] specified a comprehensive review of wearable rigid and soft robotic devices for shoulder rehabilitation with their benefits and drawbacks.…”

A Wearable Upper Limb Exoskeleton System and Intelligent Control Strategy

“…In an HMI-based exosuit [ 20 ], an advanced controller is constructed to fuse EMG signals and human kinematics information, evaluate joint torque, and provide auxiliary force in time. The control method of fusion EMG signals is efficient and accurate, subject to cost and environmental requirements [ 21 ], but it is difficult to popularize and apply.…”

Rational Design of Flexible Mechanical Force Sensors for Healthcare and Diagnosis

“…Preventive medical approaches can detect and predict diseases in their early stages, while digitized health indicators can assist doctors in achieving a precise diagnosis, together increasing the cure rate, reducing treatment costs, and improving the quality of life. As a critical part of the real-time health monitoring and digitalized diagnosis, wearable/portable biosensors are of increasing interest in both academia and relevant industries [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 ]. Within the human body, routine physiological processes produce a variety of mechanical forces, such as intracranial pressure (ICP), intraocular pressure (IOP), and blood pressure, all of which serve as critical health indicators.…”