Control Systems for Assistive and Rehabilitation Robotics: A Introduction to the Special Issue

Daily activities can become more challenging for people as they age or if they have a medical condition that inhibits their manipulation or mobility capabilities. Such individuals often engage in rehabilitation to improve or restore their abilities. Yet their diminished strength, endurance, or ability can limit the intensity and number of repetitions (the rehabilitation dosage) needed to achieve the desired training effects. As a result, therapeutic adjuvants, such as functional electrical stimulation (FES) and/or rehabilitation robotics, are often used by therapists to facilitate musculoskeletal and cardiorespiratory fitness as well as other neurological, physiological, and psychological measures.