What is the current role of rehabilitation robots in upper limb post stroke therapy?
The UK Stroke Guidelines suggest “Robot-assisted movement therapy should be considered as an adjunct to conventional therapy” for chronic patients with a deficit in arm function (Intercollegiate working Party for Stroke, 2004). Our interdisciplinary study funded by EPSRC (EP/C51873X/1) aims to investigate the feasibility of using Iterative Learning Control mediated by electrical stimulation for upper limb rehabilitation post stroke. The objective is to extend the patient’s ability to perform tasks with their arm, supported by the robot. By adjusting the level of stimulation in response to their performance, tasks are altered so that patients are always working at their limit – while motivated by their success. As a background to this study a review was conducted to explore the role of robots in upper limb post stroke therapy.
