Wearable Robotics

As the ageing of the global population poses an ever-growing host of intractable long-term challenges to societal welfare and sustainability, new technologically enabled approaches are urgently sought to enable our society to remain active, creative, productive, and—above all—independent throughout all stages of life. Among these approaches, wearable robotics represent an attractive class of rehabilitative and assistive technology for potential users with a wide range of neurological and musculoskeletal impairments, such as those resulting from disease, traumatic injury, chronic physical labour, and general ageing. Among these many conditions, gait disorders and upper-limb impairment are common and often devastating companions of ageing, leading to reductions in mobility, independence, general health, and quality of life, ultimately resulting in increased morbidity and mortality. In the coming years, both the ageing of the global workforce and age-related movement disabilities will lead to a tremendous increase in the number of people needing assistance in their fundamental activities of daily living. In this scenario, assistive technologies including wearable robotics may become increasingly effective and necessary for many individuals to maintain active, fulfilling, and independent lives. This book chapter will introduce readers to the main principles, applications, device types, and design challenges involved in the conception and development of wearable robots, such as those related to the conception of both physical and cognitive human-robot interfaces.