Robot-assisted arm therapy with different levels of supervision
Tests a robotic device for arm therapy in adults with upper limb weakness.
Plain-language title generated from the registry record
Registry title: Feasibility and Cost of Robot-assisted Upper Limb Rehabilitation With Different Levels of Supervision
Key facts
- Where
- Brissago and Lugano, SwitzerlandSee the 2 sites
Could this be for you?
Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.
- Are you between 18 and 90 years old?
Source: NCT06725784, who can take part
Where in Switzerland
- Clinica Hildebrand Centro di riabilitazione BrissagoBrissago, SwitzerlandTaking people
- Clinica Hildebrand Centro Ambulatoriale LuganoLugano, SwitzerlandTaking people
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Trial details
- Who runs it
- Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
- Trial code
- NCT06725784
- Record updated
- 17 September 2026
- Original description
Upper limb impairments are often a result of neurological or traumatic injuries (e.g., stroke, traumatic brain injuries). These impairments may decrease independence in performing activities of daily living, severely affecting patients' quality of life. Growing evidence shows that increasing upper limb therapy dose for patients could improve functional outcomes and prevent their long-term deterioration. However, due to limited resources (e.g., the number of therapists) and high rehabilitation-related costs, providing a higher therapy dose to patients is challenging, both in the clinic and after discharge, and finding new models of care is therefore critical.Read full original descriptionShow less
Feasibility and Cost of Robot-assisted Upper Limb Rehabilitation With Different Levels of Supervision: an Interventional Study
Upper limb impairments are often a result of neurological or traumatic injuries (e.g., stroke, traumatic brain injuries). These impairments may decrease independence in performing activities of daily living, severely affecting patients' quality of life. Growing evidence shows that increasing upper limb therapy dose for patients could improve functional outcomes and prevent their long-term deterioration. However, due to limited resources (e.g., the number of therapists) and high rehabilitation-related costs, providing a higher therapy dose to patients is challenging, both in the clinic and after discharge, and finding new models of care is therefore critical.
Minimally supervised or unsupervised robot-assisted therapy (i.e., patients training with rehabilitation devices with minimal to no supervision of an external person) holds the promise of allowing an increase in therapy dose with little impact on the additional resources needed. Because of their ability to provide active support and measure a wide set of parameters, actuated (active) rehabilitation robots seem to be the best solution for this therapy setting. However, such devices are often complex to use and have never been extensively tested minimally or unsupervised. Consequently, the data available on their feasibility and cost-effectiveness is limited.
At the Rehabilitation Engineering Laboratory (RELab, ETH Zurich), we developed ReHandyBot, an actuated device for unsupervised upper limb therapy. The device has already been tested with stroke patients in an unsupervised setting, with positive results regarding usability and increase in therapy dose. The main goal of this project is, therefore, to investigate the feasibility and cost of our robot-assisted continuum of care model (i.e., from inpatient to ambulatory). Specifically, we aim to evaluate the feasibility of integrating ReHandyBot into the clinical routine and perform a preliminary cost-benefit analysis of supervised, minimally supervised, and unsupervised robot-assisted therapy. Furthermore, we will also gather data on the overall dose of robot-assisted therapy and the intensity of use of the device in a clinical and ambulatory setting.
Inclusion: Informed Consent signed by the subject; Female and male patients between 18 and 90 years old; Presence of an upper limb deficit derived from any disease or event that, according to the responsible clinicians, could be improved by therapy with ReHandyBot.
Exclusion: Pathologies that may interfere with the training with ReHandyBot.