Exoskeletons and Prosthetic Limbs
摘要
As a cutting-edge domain, robotics offers a growing set of opportunities to people with disabilities, especially in case of motor impairments. In particular, wearable robotics proposes solutions for restoring motor skills through smart mechatronic systems worn by their users for assistance and rehabilitation. This entry will discuss the potential of such wearable non-invasive systems through examples of exoskeletons (robotic systems supporting and/or moving the user’s body) and prosthetic limbs (designed as replacements of biological limbs). Exoskeletons enable a person to move their own limbs to perform tasks for rehabilitation or to assist in the execution of activities of daily living (ADLs). Among them, exosuits show the peculiar feature of being soft wearable robotic devices, offering high compliance during the human-robot interaction. When the person misses one or more limbs, bionic prosthetic systems can replace them both morphologically and functionally, possibly with high levels of embodiment (integration in one’s body scheme). Alongside the advantages of these solutions, crucial challenges to their adoption will be presented in this entry through examples on mental workload, technology acceptance, and technoableism. Facing such challenges requires strategies to design and employ wearable robotic systems in the effort of offering improved motor capabilities and, consequently, greater autonomy in performing ADLs. By providing information on promising innovations in wearable robotics, this entry will remark on their potential in the fields of motor recovery, highlighting the need for human-centered multidisciplinary research for rehabilitation, assistance, and prosthetics.