Robotic devices for movement therapy after stroke: current status and challenges to clinical acceptance

Robotic devices for movement therapy are moving closer to becoming commercially available tools for aiding in stroke rehabilitation. Robotic technology offers a range of functions that will augment current clinical practice by leveraging therapists' time, cost effectively extending therapy programs, providing new measures of impairment, and offering new therapy protocols. In this article, we review work from several research laboratories that supports the clinical value of stroke therapy systems. A commercialization effort based on these results is described. We also discuss challenges to achieving clinical acceptance and practical implementation of these devices.