FEATHERS, A BIMANUAL UPPER LIMB REHABILITATION PLATFORM: A CASE STUDY OF USER-CENTRED APPROACH IN REHABILITATION DEVICE DESIGN

The healthcare sector is increasingly becoming dependent on medical devices and technologies. This is facilitated, in part, by the emphasis that is being put on the robustness of the design of medical and rehabilitation devices. The robustness of the design, and thus the adoption of a new medical device, relies heavily on its ability to fit into the multifaceted medical environment and satisfy a wide range of user needs. In order to achieve this, users and stakeholders must be involved early and frequently in the design process. In this paper, we outline a user-centred approach to design of physical therapy devices using a case study on developing an upper-body motor rehabilitation platform.