Applications and challenges of shape memory alloys in rehabilitation exoskeletons
WANG Chongyu
YANG Tian
YU Hongliu
MENG Qiaoling
Abstract：Stroke is a prevalent disease with an extremely high disability rate.Rehabilitation exoskeletons have been clinically proven to aid in limb function recovery for patients.Traditional exoskeleton drives primarily rely on electric motors and hydraulic sys-tems,and have problems such as bulkiness,poor compliance,and limited portability.To overcome the limitations of conventional exo-skeleton drive technologies,the preparation of shape memory alloy(SMA)with high strength-to-weight ratio and variable stiffness of-fers a novel solution.This paper systematically reviews the applications and challenges of SMA in rehabilitation exoskeletons.Firstly,based on the driving characteristics of SMA,the innovative design and integration methods of its driving force in upper limb and lower limb rehabilitation exoskeletons are elaborated respectively,and its mechanical properties and practical effects are analyzed.Subse-quently,addressing inherent challenges like hysteretic nonlinearity and thermal management,popular control strategies and heat dissi-pation solutions are further examined.Finally,future development directions for SMA-driven rehabilitation exoskeletons are summarized and projected,offering insights for designing novel rehabilitation exoskeletons.
Keywords：Shape memory alloyRehabilitation exoskeletonThermal managementControl strategyWearable device
Publication Date：2026-06-30
Online Publishing Date：2026-09-11(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：7( 253-259 )