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Assistive Technology for Rehabilitation

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Applied Biosciences and Bioengineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 June 2025 | Viewed by 928

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Informatics, Bioengineering, Robotics and Systems Engineering (DIBRIS), University of Genova, 16126 Genoa, Italy
Interests: motor control; neuromotor rehabilitation; technology for motor improvement and rehabilitation

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Guest Editor
IRCCS, Bambino Gesu Childrens Hosp, I-00050 Rome, Italy
Interests: rehabilitation;physical rehabilitation; neurorehabilitation; stroke rehabilitation; robotics; gait analysis; posture; movement analysis; biomechanics; postural balance

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

"Assistive Technology for Rehabilitation" explores the design, development, and application of innovative technologies aimed at enhancing rehabilitation outcomes for diverse populations, ranging from children to older adults. This Special Issue focuses on cutting-edge advancements that support individuals with motor, sensory, or cognitive impairments, emphasizing translational approaches to improve functional recovery, independence, and quality of life. Topics include, but are not limited to, robotic systems, wearables, virtual and augmented reality, brain–machine interfaces, and AI-driven solutions tailored to assistive and rehabilitative purposes.

Dr. Camilla Pierella
Dr. Susanna Summa
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • assistive technology
  • rehabilitation engineering
  • wearable devices
  • robotic rehabilitation
  • virtual and augmented reality
  • AI in rehabilitation
  • human-machine interface
  • neurorehabilitation
  • prosthetics and orthotics
  • independent living

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

20 pages, 8681 KiB  
Article
A Body–Machine Interface for Assistive Robot Control in Spinal Cord Injury: System Description and Preliminary Tests
by Aurora Freccero, Maddalena Feder, Giorgio Grioli, Manuel Giuseppe Catalano, Antonino Massone, Antonio Bicchi and Maura Casadio
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(4), 1792; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15041792 - 10 Feb 2025
Viewed by 651
Abstract
Motor impairments, particularly spinal cord injuries, impact thousands of people each year, resulting in severe sensory and motor disabilities. Assistive technologies play a crucial role in supporting these individuals with activities of daily living. Among such technologies, body–machine interfaces (BoMIs) are particularly important, [...] Read more.
Motor impairments, particularly spinal cord injuries, impact thousands of people each year, resulting in severe sensory and motor disabilities. Assistive technologies play a crucial role in supporting these individuals with activities of daily living. Among such technologies, body–machine interfaces (BoMIs) are particularly important, as they convert residual body movements into control signals for external robotic devices. The main challenge lies in developing versatile control interfaces that can adapt to the unique needs of individual users. This study aims to adapt for people with spinal cord injury a novel control framework designed to translate residual user movements into commands for the humanoid robot Alter-Ego. After testing and refining the control algorithm, we developed an experimental protocol to train users to control the robot in a simulated environment. A total of 12 unimpaired participants and two individuals affected by spinal cord injury participated in this study, which was designed to assess the system’s applicability and gather end-user feedback on its performance in assisting with daily tasks. Key metrics such as the system’s usability, accuracy, performance, and improvement metrics in navigation and reaching tasks were assessed. The results suggest that assistive robots can be effectively controlled using minimal residual movements. Furthermore, structured training sessions significantly enhance overall performance and improve the accuracy of the control algorithm across the selected tasks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Assistive Technology for Rehabilitation)
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