ABSTRACT
In the field of rehabilitation, the skills of the engineer, both practical and theoretical, make possible the development and design of new devices and measurement techniques. In particular, the ability to understand a technical problem in terms of a theoretical model allows the engineer to propose entirely original solutions. In some circumstances, this may lead to a new approach to measurement while, in others, it may permit the design and development of novel equipment. Engineers are perhaps most commonly considered as people who make things and this is no less true in rehabilitation engineering where there is an ever-increasing demand for new types of equipment. This chapter will examine these various skills and identify some of the major contributions to rehabilitation. In the final section, some of the possible applications of new technologies will be identified.
