Upper-Limb Exoskeletons in Rehabilitation: Developments and Challenges

Dear Colleagues,

Applications of robotic exoskeletons have been the focus of enormous research interest in recent years and some products have become commercialized. One of the most promising applications is rehabilitation robotics, that is, exoskeletons to be used in new rehabilitation therapies to reduce permanent motor deficits caused by neurological disorders, accidents, or aging.
However, despite the wide research in this field, there are still open issues, especially in the development of devices for the upper limbs, which limit their introduction in real clinical practice. Excessive weight, power consumption, high cost, and complex mechanical design are some of the problems that must be solved in the coming years to extend the use of robotic exoskeletons of the upper limb in the treatment of patients with neuromuscular disorders.
This Special Issue covers innovative solutions from research groups worldwide, highlighting recent advances in mechanical design, emerging actuation technologies, and new control approaches to face the problems that limit the application of upper limb exoskeletons.

Prof. Luis Enrique Moreno Lorente
Prof. Maria Dolores Blanco Rojas
Guest Editors

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