Fundamentals of robotic assistive technologies

This chapter describes the different conceptualizations of disability. In 2001, WHO adopted the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) that integrates the medical and the social models of disability into a biopsychosocial model. Disability reflects the negative aspects of the interaction between the individual's health condition and contextual (environmental and personal) factors. The chapter discusses assistive technology, describes the Human Activity Assistive Technology (HAAT) model, and presents the current international safety standards for robotic assistive technologies. The human component of the HAAT model refers to the person with disabilities with his or her physical and cognitive abilities and emotional states. The chapter justifies the use of robots in rehabilitation, and lists some of the challenges of the rehabilitation robotics market. It explores the goal of a Technology Readiness Levels scale. Robotic assistive technologies pose several ethical challenges regarding their design, implementation, and deployment.