A novel exoskeleton for assessing passive wrist stiffness and active range of motion

Robots have been deployed in the clinical setting for rehabilitation of patients with neurological disorder such as spinal cord injury or stroke. Although gains in functional outcomes have been observed during robotic therapy, results vary. Further, the optimal interventions for promoting positive outcomes are not known. To deepen our understanding of recovery of the wrist, recent studies have examined joint properties, such as passive stiffness and range of motion (ROM). Assessment of limb properties over the course of robotic rehabilitation could inform the way we command the robot to intervene and deliver therapy. However, prior robotic devices used for such assessment have lacked a sufficient combination of torque and ROM to fully quantify both of these properties.