Perspective of soft robotics for people with neurodegenerative diseases: Can we develop robotic solutions using soft material?

Accepted Workshop Paper

In this paper we investigate perceptions of soft robotic technology in people with neurodegenerative diseases. Technologies which
incorporate soft robotics is a fast-emerging field in medicine and has many applications from diagnosis to rehabilitation practices.
However, it is an area which has not been investigated in the older population with neurological disorders. Neurological disorders are the
major causes of death and disability, with an increasing burden worldwide and a public health priority according to The World Health
Organisation (WHO), and we believe that soft robotics can provide innovative solutions to address everyday issues that those patients
encounter. Our goal is to better understand user requirements and their view of such innovative technologies. We present current
developments in soft robotics technology and research challenges associated with our population to highlight research directions to better
study this new research topic.