A review of design issues in rehabilitation robotics with reference to North American research

Since rehabilitation robotics is a small field, progress toward useful devices will be faster if research groups are cognizant of the successes and failures that have been made in the past. The authors review past and present work, focusing on projects in North America (a companion paper in this issue reviews work in Europe), and attempts to identify the key features that have led to the success or failure of devices. Of particular note is the reliance in the past on position controlled robots, as these were the available level of technology. Lack of exemplar products has made it difficult for researchers to identify the needs and expectations that a person with a physical disability might have of a rehabilitation robot. This situation is changing rapidly and the field can now benefit from “consumer in the loop” research and design methods