1st Workshop on Upper-Extremity Assistive Technology for People with Duchenne: State of the art, emerging avenues, and challenges

How could the service delivery process of dynamic arm supports be optimized?

“…OTs), and increase the ability to communicate in the same, uniform terminology. Knowledge regarding factors affecting use and benefit has increased in literature, but is still insufficient to match human related intended use to the product related intended use [18]. This includes insight into aspects located in the various RiFA steps.…”

Focus on the upper limb in Duchenne muscular dystrophy

“…In a way, this is peculiar as upper limb function – the ability to reach, lift, and manipulate – is important for the preservation of independent functioning and more difficult to replace by using assistive devices than lower limb function. Young males with DMD indicate that activities which require arm function – like self‐feeding, personal care, using computers, and manoeuvring wheelchairs – are among their highest priorities …”

Control interfaces to actively support the arm function of men with Duchenn Muscular Dystrophy

“…Nevertheless, force-based control interfaces with active gravity and jointstiffness compensation can be a better alternative for those cases in which voluntary forces would still be higher than the intrinsic forces of the arms. Fully passive or actively adjustable passive arm supports are in most cases not effective for people with severe muscular weakness such as adults with DMD [42]. This specific group of people are generally too weak to use arm supports since they cannot generate the forces needed to overcome the intrinsic forces of their arms, or the inertia and friction forces of the device [105,104].…”

“…[42]) with people with DMD, care givers, rehabilitation physicians, and manufacturers of arm supports, three major limitations of current arm supports were identified:…”

“…The aesthetic appearance of arm supports plays an important role in users' acceptance [35,42,105]. Therefore, our strategy was to make a slender arm support, with the long-term goal that could be worn underneath clothing.…”