Robot-mediated physical Human-Human Interaction in Neurorehabilitation: a position paper

Neurorehabilitation conventionally relies on the interaction between a patient and a physical therapist. Robotic systems can improve and enrich the physical feedback provided to patients after neurological injury, but they under-utilize the adaptability and clinical expertise of trained therapists. In this position paper, we advocate for a novel approach that integrates the therapist's clinical expertise and nuanced decision-making with the strength, accuracy, and repeatability of robotics: Robot-mediated physical Human-Human Interaction. This framework, which enables two individuals to physically interact through robotic devices, has been studied across diverse research groups and has recently emerged as a promising link between conventional manual therapy and rehabilitation robotics, harmonizing the strengths of both approaches. This paper presents the rationale of a multidisciplinary team-including engineers, doctors, and physical therapists-for conducting research that utilizes: a unified taxonomy to describe robot-mediated rehabilitation, a framework of interaction based on social psychology, and a technological approach that makes robotic systems seamless facilitators of natural human-human interaction.