User involvement in developing Rehabilitation Robotic devices: An essential requirement

Treatment from a trained therapist is an important aspect of stroke rehabilitation, but resource limits mean that not all stroke patients receive the treatment that they require. The iPAM (Intelligent Pneumatic Arm Movement) is a robotic system that aims to provide more time-efficient rehabilitation therapy. To make sure this really addresses the needs of therapists and patients, the iPAM development has involved significant input from both parties throughout its development. However, despite the generally accepted importance of user involvement in the development of rehabilitation robotics, there is still a lack of published literature in this area, and most of the reported cases only seek user opinion once a device has been developed. This paper reviews existing literature on user involvement, and discusses the approach adopted in the iPAM project. Feedback from the user tests is presented, along with a discussion of its implications for future development of the system, and the importance of involving users in all stages of the development process.