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Challenges and Opportunities for Robot-Mediated Neurorehabilitation

Recovery from stroke, and injury of the brain and spinal cord, is being aided by robots that

guide or restrict patient movements during therapy.

By William S. Harwin, Member IEEE, James L. Patton, Member IEEE, and V. Reggie Edgerton, Member IEEE

ABSTRACT | Robot-mediated neurorehabilitation is a rapidly advancing field that seeks to use advances in robotics, virtual realities, and haptic interfaces, coupled with theories in neuroscience and rehabilitation to define new methods for treating neurological injuries such as stroke, spinal cord injury, and traumatic brain injury. The field is nascent and much work is needed to identify efficient hardware, software, and control system designs alongside the most effective methods for delivering treatment in home and hospital settings. This paper identifies the need for robots in neurorehabilitation and identifies important goals that will allow this field to advance.

KEYWORDS | Haptic interfaces; neurological injury; neurorehabilitation; rehabilitation; robot; spinal cord injury; stroke; traumatic brain injury; virtual reality

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