Rehabilitation Robotics: Technology and Applications

Physical medicine and rehabilitation, also called physiatry, aims to enhance and restore functional ability and quality of life to people with physical impairments or disabilities. Rehabilitation robotics is an area of research dedicated to understanding and enhancing physiatry through the use of robotic devices. It involves the development of robotic devices to assist different sensorimotor functions, different schemes of assisting therapeutic training, and assessment of patient's ability to move. Robots are used mainly as therapy aids instead of assistive devices in rehabilitation robotics. Some of the techniques used within this field are active assisted exercise, active resistive exercise and adaptive exercise. This book elucidates new techniques and their applications in a multidisciplinary manner. The ever growing need of advanced technology is the reason that has fueled the research in the field of rehabilitation robotics in recent times. As this field is emerging at a rapid pace, the contents of this book will help the readers understand the technology and applications of the subject.