Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 10, 2026
The Combined Use of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Robotic Therapy for the Upper Limb
Published on: September 23, 2018
Stroke participants' perceptions of robotic and electrical stimulation therapy: a new approach
Ann-Marie Hughes1, Jane Burridge, Chris T Freeman
1Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom.
Purpose:
User perceptions are critical, yet often ignored factors in the design and development of rehabilitation technologies. In this article, measures for collection of patient perceptions are developed and applied to a novel upper limb workstation that combines robotic therapy and electrical stimulation (ES).
Method:
Five participants with chronic upper limb hemiplegia post-stroke used a robotic workstation to undertake supported tracking tasks augmented by precisely controlled ES to their triceps muscle. Following a 6 week trial, a purpose designed set of questions was developed and individual interviews were conducted by an independent health psychologist.
Results:
The simple, quick to administer question set showed that participants had a positive response to the system, and contributed valuable feedback with regard to its usability and effectiveness. Participants want a home-based system targeting their whole arm.
Conclusion:
This article demonstrates the value in assessing user perceptions of a rehabilitation system via a simple question set. While the results of this study have implications for a wider audience, our recommendations are for a qualitative study to develop a generic evaluation tool which could be used across the growing number of devices to provide feedback to enhance future development of any new technology for rehabilitation.
