Review of Upper Limb Hybrid Exoskeletons

Abstract

Hybrid exoskeletons, which combine electrically controlled actuation with functional electrical stimulation, potentially offer great benefits for muscular rehabilitation. This review aims to provide an overview of the state of the art of current upper-limb hybrid exoskeletons with a focus on stroke rehabilitation. This field is still very new and further development of the current control methods used for hybrid exoskeletons is needed. More investigation is needed with regards to the potential benefit of hybrid exoskeletons as a patient-monitoring and rehabilitation assist-as-need tool.