Recent Advances on Upper Limb Rehabilitation Robot

Background: With advances in medical technology and an aging population, the number of patients with upper limb movement disorders has increased, who are facing difficulties in selfcare and occupational integration. Traditional rehabilitation methods have limitations, such as unstable results, long cycle times, and insufficient resources. Therefore, upper limb rehabilitation robotics has emerged, combining robotics, medicine, and other fields to simulate upper limb movement for targeted rehabilitation training in order to improve effectiveness, shorten the cycle, and reduce the burden on therapists. Objective: This study aimed to introduce the classification, advantages and disadvantages, and development trend in existing upper limb rehabilitation robots and provide a basis for other researchers to understand the current status of their development and future trends. Methods: Various studies and patents on upper limb rehabilitation robots were reviewed, revealing the structural characteristics, along with the advantages and disadvantages, of typical robotic arms used for upper limb rehabilitation. Results: Through the analysis of various upper limb rehabilitation robots, the characteristics and problems of upper limb rehabilitation robots were identified, and the development trend of upper limb rehabilitation robots was prospected. Conclusion: Upper limb rehabilitation robots have many advantages, such as good adaptability, personalized customization, safety and reliability, etc., but they also have some disadvantages, such as difficult control, high manufacturing cost, and short service life. In the future, upper limb rehabilitation robots will develop towards simpler structures, greater comfort, affordability, diverse functions, better efficacy, and increased safety.