Results and Discussion
摘要
WRD for gait rehabilitation address important limitations to effectively fulfill the requirements of end-users within the intended contexts of use. After more than 20 years of remarkable technological advances in the field that have led to six (6) devices CE marked, and at least four times more devices in different development stages [21], users interviewed in Sect. 3.1 unanimously agreed on the limited accessibility and availability of lower limb exoskeletons for gait rehabilitation, demonstrating the limited number of devices that have successfully reached end users when compared to the demand for exoskeletons. These users also consider that these devices are still under development, suggesting an increase in funding for their development, as reported. But why is it that at least 30 years of research, funding and dozens of developments aimed at the same goals have not provided at least a couple of devices that are not perceived by users as “still under development”? The data obtained in Sect. 3.1 and the findings reported in the literature indicate that a key factor that is still hindering the success of these technologies is the limited user acceptance [21] because the demands of the users are yet to be met [55–57].