Evaluation of a new exoskeleton for upper limb post-stroke neuro-rehabilitation: Preliminary results

Abstract

Exoskeletons are becoming very popular for the rehabilitative treatment of post-stroke subjects. The aim of this study was to characterize the effect of a new light upper limb exoskeleton on the movement execution and muscular activity during reaching movements in healthy subjects. The results show that the exoskeleton used in the passive modality supports the upper limb reducing the muscular activity of the shoulder’s muscles and increasing the activity of the elbow flexors, without interfering with the movement execution. Our preliminary analysis on healthy subjects supports the use of this new exoskeleton for poststroke robotic-rehabilitation.