ABSTRACT
While the majority of today’s haptic interfaces and applications are targeted at the able-bodied user, a rapidly growing field of science studies the use of this technology in physical rehabilitation. There are many reasons the reader may wish to take a closer look at this application domain. One reason concerns societal impact, as there are about 70 million people with disabilities in the European Union [Bu¨hler 97]. Such therapy is needed by various patient populations ranging from post-stroke survivors, to those with traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy, spinal cord injuries, musculo-skeletal deficits, and others. The United States alone spends about $30 billion every year on physical rehabilitation [Patton et al. 06]. Of the above-mentioned costs, the majority represent labor costs (therapist time), and economic pressures tend to make rehabilitation interventions shorter than in prior years.
