Gerontechnology, Domotics, and Robotics

Abstract

The gerontechnology is a new branch of assistant technologies in health and social domains. New devices were developed to help the subjects with limitation in the activities of daily living (ADL), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), enhanced activities of daily living (EADL), and memory functions and health monitoring to remove the caregiver burden. To provide these requirements, we can use the Ambient Assisted Living (AAL). We can improve the smart homes, the mobile devices, the wearable sensors, the smart fabrics, and the assistive robotics. Rehabilitation robotics (RR) and the assistive robotics (AA) are branches of robotics, which focus on devices or machines that can be developed to help people with disability to recover or to provide support in severe disability or physical trauma. These devices can be classified as exoskeleton, end effector, and wearable. All these robots are designed around the function and shape of the human body. Numerous robotic devices for the upper and lower limb with various levels of complexity and functionality have been developed. Prominent goals in this field include developing implementable technologies that can be easily used by patients, therapists, and clinicians, enhancing the efficacy of clinician’s therapies, and increasing the ease of activities in the daily lives of patients. The development of robot-aided tools for geriatric rehabilitation is a very stimulating prospective when considering their highly rehabilitative and assistive potentials.