Human-Robot Communication in Rehabilitation Devices

Robotic systems assisting physical rehabilitation are developed for both commercial purposes and personal use. In the years to come, such devices will be used mainly by the elderly, the disabled, as well as children and adults after accidents and disorders limiting their physical capabilities. As the population is getting older, the issue becomes more and more critical. A growing number of people requiring rehabilitation generate significant costs, of which personal expenses are a major component. Providing the human personnel with appropriate mechatronic devices or replacing at least some rehabilitation medicine specialists with robots could reduce physical and mental workload of physicians. Broader application of such devices will also require lower prices and improved Human-Robot Communication (HRC) solutions. This article presents general requirements regarding the communication with rehabilitation robots, presents human-robot communication solutions developed by different manufacturers, describes the system applied in RENUS robots and indicates directions in which the HRCshould evolve.