Mobile Exoneuromusculoskeletons (ENMSs): Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES) and Soft Robot Hybrid Systems for Personalized Telerehabilitation Poststroke

Long-term rehabilitation after a stroke is challenging because of the insufficiency of professional manpower when the stroke population is expanding rapidly. This work presented the inventions of the team, i.e., mobile exoneuromusculoskeletons (ENMSs), which are neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) and soft robot hybrid systems for personalized telerehabilitation to restore upper and lower limb functions in hemiplegia. The feasibility of the device-assisted self-help training by non-professionals in home environments and the rehabilitative effectiveness were investigated by clinical trials. The results suggested that ENMS-assisted upper limb telerehabilitation could significantly improve voluntary motor function by reducing learned disuse in the distal joint muscles. The telerehabilitation program of the upper limb ENMS has been translated into the routine service of a public rehabilitation center. The lower limb ENMS-assisted telerehabilitation showed effectiveness in correcting footdrop and foot inversion in hemiplegic gait and improving gait patterns with long-term effects in 6-month follow-ups.