An Overview of Artificial Intelligence-based Soft Upper Limb Exoskeleton for Rehabilitation: A Descriptive Review

Abstract: The upper limb robotic exoskeleton is an electromechanical device which use to recover a patients motor dysfunction in the rehabilitation field. It can provide repetitive, comprehensive, focused, positive, and precise training to regain the joints and muscles capability. It has been shown that existing robotic exoskeletons are generally used rigid motors and mechanical structures. Soft robotic devices can be a correct substitute for rigid ones. Soft exosuits are flexible, portable, comfortable, user-friendly, low-cost, and travel-friendly. Somehow, they need expertise or therapist to assist those devices. Also, they cannot be adaptable to different patients with non-identical physical parameters and various rehabilitation needs. For that reason, nowadays we need intelligent exoskeletons during rehabilitation which have to learn from patients previous data and act according to it with patients intention. There also has a big gap between theoretical and practical applications for using those exoskeletons. Most of the intelligent exoskeletons are prototype in manner. To solve this problem, the robotic exoskeleton should be made both criteria as ergonomic and portable. The exoskeletons have to the power of decision-making to avoid the presence of expertise. In this growing field, the present trend is to make the exoskeleton intelligent and make it more reliable to use in clinical practice.