This paper presents a new type of wearable haptic device which can augment a sensor glove in various tasks of telemanipulation. We present the details of its two alternative designs jamming tubes or jamming pads, and their control system. These devices use the jamming phenomena to change the stiffness of their elements and block the hand movement when a vacuum is applied. We present results of our experiments to measure static and dynamic changes in stiffness, which can be used to change the perception of grabbing hard or soft objects. The device, at its current state is capable of resisting forces of up to 7 N with 5 mm displacement and can simulate hardness up to the hardness of a rubber. However, time necessary for a complete change of stiffness is high (time constant 0.5 s); therefore, additional cutaneous interface was added in a form of small vibration motors. Finally, we show an application of the haptic interface in our teleoperation system to provide the operator with haptic feedback in a light weight and simple form.

Robots have been recently used as valuable therapeutic devices in numerous studies (especially with children with developmental needs), but their role as more general support for therapists is less well studied. However, as robots become better integrated in therapeutic environments, they will also influence therapists; and if robots are designed correctly, they could positively influence therapists’ well-being. Understanding how robots could be used in such a way is especially important as therapists of autistic children (and therapists of mentally disabled people in general) have one of the highest risks of workplace burnout. This paper describes a series of studies conducted to understand therapists’ attitudes towards robotic support and to discover what is most needed in such devices; this paper also describes an experimental study of the feasibility of robots playing one of those roles. Through observational studies and a series of ten meetings, with a group of seven therapists of autism, a list of possible roles was created. In a larger questionnaire based study, therapists gave a ranking to various robot roles and functions (a child’s behaviour analyser and support in critical/dangerous situations were given the highest priority). Therapists also stated that they expect robots to help them in the workplace, help prepare documentation and make their work more systematic. In a Wizard-of-Oz type experimental study, a robot was used to play a role of “emotional mirror” with seven therapist-child pairs. Study participants stated that a robot was acceptable and was not disturbing, although most did not find it particularly useful. Our conclusions indicate that therapists want robots to play a larger role than just a therapeutic device, and such roles can be added to robots without disturbing sessions with clients.

There is a wide variety of tools and measures for rehabilitation outcomes in post-stroke patients with impairments in the upper limb and hand, such as paralysis, paresis, flaccidity, and spasticity. However, there is a lack of general recommendations for selecting the most appropriate scales, tests, and instruments to objectively evaluate therapy outcomes. Reviews on upper limb and hand measurements reveal that clinicians’ choices of tools and methods are highly varied. Some clinicians and medical teams continue to employ non-standard and unverified metrics in their research and measurements. This review article aims to identify the key parameters, assessed by outcome measures and instruments, that play a crucial role in upper limb and hand rehabilitation for post-stroke patients, specifically focusing on the recovery of hand function. The review seeks to assist researchers and medical teams in selecting appropriate outcome measures when evaluating post-stroke patients. We analyze the measured factors and skills found in these outcome measures and highlight useful tools that diversify assessments and enhance result objectivity through graphical representation. The paper also describes trends and new possibilities in hand outcome measures. Clinicians frequently use proven devices, such as EMG, goniometers, and hand dynamometers. Still, there is a growing trend towards incorporating technologies, such as pose and position estimation, using artificial intelligence, or custom hand grip measurement devices. Researchers are increasingly adopting scales previously successful in orthopedic and surgical patients, recognizing their potential for objectivizing outcomes in neurological patients with post-stroke hand complications. The review included only adults over the age of 18. Outcome measures were tested for usefulness in the rehabilitation of stroke patients.

The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of traditional neurological rehabilitation and neurological rehabilitation combined with a rehabilitation robot for patients with post-COVID-19 fatigue syndrome. Eighty-six participants transferred from intensive care units due to post-viral fatigue after COVID-19 were randomly divided into two groups: the intervention group and the control group. The control group received standard neurological rehabilitation for 120 min a day, while the intervention group received the same neurological rehabilitation for 75 min a day, complemented by 45 min of exercises on the rehabilitation robot. The Berg scale, Tinetti scale, six-minute walking test, isokinetic muscle force test, hand grip strength, Barthel Index, and Functional Independence Measure were used to measure the outcomes. Both groups improved similarly during the rehabilitation. Between groups, a comparison of before/after changes revealed that the intervention group improved better in terms of Functional Independence Measure (p = 0.015) and mean extensor strength (p = 0.023). The use of EMG-driven robots in the rehabilitation of post-COVID-19 fatigue syndrome patients was shown to be effective.

Immersive virtual therapy technology is a new method that uses head-mounted displays for rehabilitation purposes. It offers a realistic experience that puts the user in a virtual reality. This new type of therapy is used in the rehabilitation of stroke patients. Many patients after this disease have complications related to the upper extremities that limit independence in their everyday life, which affects the functioning of society. Conventional neurological rehabilitation can be supplemented by the use of immersive virtual therapy. The system allows patients with upper limb dysfunction to perform a motor and task-oriented training in virtual reality that is individually tailored to their performance. The complete immersion therapy itself is researched and evaluated by medical teams to determine the suitability for rehabilitation of the upper limb after a stroke. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the latest research (2019–2022) on immersive virtual reality with head-mounted displays using in rehabilitation of the upper extremities of stroke patients.

We present a haptic device based on the jamming phenomena that is designed for telemanipulation purposes, especially in mobile robotics. It is a soft, lightweight, mechanically simple and intrinsically stable mechanism which gives the operator support in grasping and exploration tasks. This paper explains our motivation and the role of the proposed device as part of a telemanipulation interface. We present two concepts using either jamming tubes or jamming pads and a detailed description of their control system.