Awareness Survey on Wearable Walking Assistance Robots / The Japanese Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine

ABSTRACT

Objective：In Japan, there are three types of wearable walking assistance robots available in the market (some for rent). While the appearances thereof are similar, each has distinctive characteristics targeting different patients. For these to be used widely, an understanding of their characteristics is essential. We examined the method by which these robots became popular by surveying the awareness about them among members of the Japanese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine.Method：We conducted an online survey among members of the Japanese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine from February 13 to March 31, 2017. The robots included HAL by CYBERDYNE INC., WPAL by ASKA Corporation and Tomei Brace Co., Ltd., and ReWalk by ReWalk Robotics, Inc. and Yaskawa Electric Corporation. The questions on the survey were set to inquire if the respondents were aware of the contents of each device advocated by the manufacturer.Results：We received valid responses from 266 respondents. Of them, 82.7% indicated an interest in robotic rehabilitation. The awareness about each device was 96.6%, 51.5%, and 46.2%, while the percentage of individuals understanding the purpose of each was 87.2%, 67.2%, and 73.2% for HAL, WPAL, and ReWalk, respectively. The actual implementation in rehabilitation remained at 23.7%, with 31.6% wishing to participate in a robotic hands-on plan if one existed.Conclusion：The notification of correct information and experience are necessary for the spread of awareness about walking assistance robots, and a hands-on plan is one of the effective methods.