Wearable kinesthetic systems and emerging technologies in actuation for upperlimb neurorehabilitation

Kinesthetic and haptic interfaces between humans and machines are currently under development in a truly wearable form, using innovative technologies based on electroactive polymers. The integration of electroactive polymeric materials into wearable garments is becoming a viable mean to confer the garment strain sensing and actuation properties. In this paper, the implementation and testing of fabric-based wearable interfaces for the upper limb endowed with spatially redundant strain sensing are reported. Electroactive polymer actuators, which we are currently investigating, are discussed with emphasis given to their unique capabilities in the phenomenological mimicking of skeletal muscle actuation and control. Finally, current work in preliminary evaluation of prototypes in the field of post-stroke rehabilitation is also briefly presented.