Advancements in Soft Wearable Robots: A Systematic Review of Actuation Mechanisms and Physical Interfaces

Abstract

Soft actuators and robotic devices designed for rehabilitation and assistance are a rapidly growing field of research. Their inherent flexibility enhances comfort and usability without restricting the user’s natural range of motion. However, despite these advantages, there are still several challenges that need to be addressed before these systems can be commercialized. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the latest developments in soft wearable robots, also known as exosuits. Soft exosuits are composed of two main components: actuation mechanisms (how forces/torques are generated) and physical interfaces (how and where the robot is anchored to the body). This paper reviews the advances in these two areas, while categorizing exosuits based on the intended assisted joint, assisted degrees of freedom (DOF), and device type. The systematic literature review follows the PRISMA guidelines to summarize the relevant studies and investigate their related physical interface, actuation mechanism and its design. Several limitations were identified in these areas, and insights into potential future research directions are presented. In the future, the goal should be to develop an untethered assistive device that can provide assistance to multiple joints while having a low form factor, an intuitive and natural interface, and being comfortable for the user.