With the global ageing population and the increasing prevalence of mobility impairments, the demand for effective and comfortable rehabilitation and assistive solutions has grown rapidly. Soft exoskeletons have emerged as a key direction in the development of wearable rehabilitation devices. This review examines how these systems are designed and controlled, as well as how they differ from the rigid exoskeletons that preceded them. Made from flexible fabrics and lightweight components, soft exoskeletons use pneumatic or cable mechanisms to support movement while keeping close contact with the body. Their compliant structure helps to reduce joint stress and makes them more comfortable for long periods of use. The discussion in this paper covers recent work on lower-limb designs, focusing on actuation, power transmission, and human–robot coordination. It also considers the main technical barriers that remain, such as power supply limits, the wear and fatigue of soft materials, and the challenge of achieving accurate tracking performance, low latency, and resilience to external disturbances. Studies reviewed here show that these systems help users regain functionality and improve rehabilitation, while also easing caregivers’ workload. The paper ends by outlining several priorities for future development: lighter mechanical layouts, better energy systems, and adaptive control methods that make soft exoskeletons more practical for everyday use as well as clinical therapy.

Soft pneumatic actuators are widely used in robotic manipulation due to their compliance and adaptability; however, their performance is typically fixed at the fabrication stage, limiting their suitability for applications requiring task-specific tuning. This paper presents a reconfigurable self-bending contraction actuator (SBCA) that enables post-fabrication adjustment of mechanical behaviour through interchangeable internal reinforcing elements. The proposed design introduces novel end fittings that allow rapid, non-destructive insertion and replacement of reinforcing rods, transforming the actuator from a fixed-function component into a tunable system. Four reinforcing rod geometries are designed and experimentally evaluated to investigate the influence of stiffness distribution on actuator performance. Results show that reinforcement geometry significantly affects both bending curvature and force transmission, with the proposed configurations achieving up to 77° bending at 2 bar and a maximum fingertip force of 4.73 N. A 25.42% increase in bending angle and a 10% increase in force are observed relative to a baseline configuration. Beyond performance improvements, the study establishes a direct relationship between internal structural variation and actuator output, highlighting a controllable trade-off between bending curvature and force generation. This provides a practical framework for tuning actuator behaviour without redesign or reconstruction. A three-finger soft gripper integrating the proposed SBCA is developed and validated through grasping experiments on objects with varying geometries and mechanical properties, demonstrating robust and adaptive manipulation. The proposed approach advances SBCA design from fixed-performance actuators toward reconfigurable and application-adaptable soft robotic systems.

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