USEFUL: User-centred assistive SystEm for arm Functions in neuromuscuLar subjects

From the patient's point of view improvement is measured by regaining lost abilities,- by being able to do something -anything- today I couldn't do Yesterday" (Munn, Neuromuscul Disord, 2010). Partially regaining a lost ability is a special experience for people affected by neuromuscular evolutive diseases. So far, technologies for muscular dystrophic people have been devoted to primary needs, such as respiratory assistance and mobility, while assistance for tasks carried out with upper limbs has been less explored. The USEFUL project aims at designing, developing, integrating, and field testing arm exoskeletons that will enhance living standards for people suffering from said diseases, by helping them accomplish everyday tasks and, possibly, independent activities. For people having a residual functional contraction capability, commercial devices can in principle match the requirements. USEFUL will field-test these products using a rigorous health assessment approach. Since nothing is currently available to tailor the specific needs of most severely impaired subjects, USEFUL will develop a prototype of a powered arm exoskeleton targeted to this specific category of users. It will be directly controlled by the user using manual, head/gaze and/or voice control. The approach proposed will allow to reach the first end-users in short time and to reduce the development time and costs. Furthermore, it will be developed in a continuous iterative process between users’ requirements and technological developments. The USEFUL proposal was born from several workshops of the people of the association UILDM Lecco, patients and their families with the transdisciplinary cluster of researchers who has been continuously collaborating on the development of technologies for rehabilitation for the last 10 years, thanks to the promotion of the POLIMI Lecco campus. This team includes technicians from POLIMI and ITIA CNR and clinicians from Villa Beretta VALDUCE, INRCA and MEDEA.