Design Issues for Therapeutic Robot Systems: Results from a Survey of Physiotherapists

Over the years, research into rehabilitation robots has increased considerably. Using robots for rehabilitation can improve persons with physical disabilities to perform the basic activities of daily living. However, rehabilitation robots are not welcome yet in clinical environments. While surveys concerning how patients respond to robots used for rehabilitation have been conducted, no survey exists in the literature concerning how the therapists themselves think of these robotic devices, and what functionality they should possess in order to be effective. This paper presents a survey of physiotherapists concerning their thoughts, experience, and what functionality should be included in robots used for rehabilitation. In particular, the therapists were asked about the development of an intelligent robotic device capable of performing repetitive tasks for patients who suffer from reduced upper and lower limb mobility. In general, the results from this survey suggest that therapists respond positively to the idea of robotic devices in a clinical setting. Furthermore, the majority of respondents are interested in rehabilitation robotics. The results of the survey will be very helpful in the design of robotic systems for use during physiotherapy.