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Wearable robotics is a field receiving increasing attention from the scientific community. It has great potential to improve rehabilitation process or increase the human capabilities but faces a number of challenges. On the one side, powerful actuation is required, leading to considerable system weight. On the other side, due to the close physical interaction with a human and taking into consideration safety requirements, the displacement of the actuators is crucial to the operational efficiency and functionality of exoskeleton devices. One possible solution for the design of an operational and efficient wearable device is to relocate its actuators out of joints and transmit the force by means of cable-based transmission systems. This paper presents an overview of various cable-based configurations correlated to conventional mechanical designs and their implementation in exoskeleton's structures and an overview of exoskeleton robots including comparison and trend analyses.

Low-Back Pain (LBP) affects a large portion of the working population. Preventive exoskeletons have been proposed to reduce the moments on the lower back, specifically around the lumbosacral (L5/S1) joint. High correlation has been shown, between reducing the moments around the L5/S1 joint and intervertebral compression forces, which in turn have been identified as a risk factor for developing LBP. However, most passive back support exoskeletons use rigid plates or stiff beams to support the spine that limit the range of motion of the wearer. A large range of motion and versatility are especially desirable for industrial applications. To overcome these limitations, a passive biomimetic exo-spine has been designed, modelled and an initial prototype tested. Its potential to allow for a large range of motion, whilst at the same time limiting the most extreme and potentially harmful postures has been shown.

Robot-assisted rehabilitation therapy interventions are emerging as a new technique to help individuals with motor impairment recover lost motor control. While initial clinical studies indicate the devices can reduce impairment, the mechanisms of recovery behind their effectiveness are not well understood. Thus, there is still uncertainty on how best to design robotic therapy devices. Ideally at the onset of designing a robotic therapy device, the designer would fully understand the physiological mechanisms of recovery, then shape the machine design to target those mechanisms. This chapter reviews key potential mechanisms by which robotic therapy devices may promote motor recovery. We discuss the evidence for each mechanism, how initial devices have targeted these mechanisms, and the implications of this evidence for optimal design of robotic therapy machines.