Professor Paolo Bonato

Technology Innovation for Precision Rehabilitation Interventions

Abstract

Medicine is being fundamentally reshaped by advances in biological sciences and innovations from biomedical engineering. A compelling example of this evolution is the use of robotics and digital health technologies in stroke rehabilitation. Robotics has dramatically advanced motor retraining protocols, enabling the delivery of high-dosage, high-intensity, and task-specific interventions crucial for meaningful motor recovery. Robotic systems enable continuous interaction with patients, allowing for real-time adjustments to the forces that guide movement and promote the learning of new motor patterns. While robotic devices excel at capturing motor performance during training sessions, other critical dimensions of a patient's response are more effectively assessed via digital health technologies. When integrated with AI-based algorithms, these tools enable the continuous monitoring of a patient's progress. They generate proxy measures for clinical endpoints, allowing clinicians to personalize and adapt intervention strategies as needed. This data-driven, precision rehabilitation model not only enhances outcomes for stroke survivors but also offers a scalable framework that can be extended across various domains of medicine. As these technologies continue to mature, they hold the promise of enabling proactive, predictive, and patient-specific care. Ultimately, the integration of robotics, digital health, and AI is redefining how we deliver care in rehabilitation and beyond.