Could robots give us a leg up?
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
Following a stroke, physical therapy is key for regaining mobility. But it’s tough, both on the patient and the physical therapist. Little help?
Enter Emek Küçüktabak and team from Northwestern University.
They had eight patients and their therapists wear digitally linked exoskeletons for one session. This allowed the therapist to guide the patient’s movement in real time. It also physically supported the patient.
And? The exoskeleton increased all eight patients’ range of motion, compared to one session of conventional therapy! Step length and height also increased, and patients reported feeling a boost in motivation.
And that’s a big, robot-assisted step forward for post-stroke recovery!
Küçüktabak, E. B., Short, M. R., Vianello, L., Ludvig, D., Hargrove, L., Lynch, K., & Pons, J. (2026). Therapist-exoskeleton-patient interaction for gait therapy. Science Robotics, 11(115). https://doi.org/10.1126/scirobotics.adz9628