Healthcare Bots · Part of The Humanoid Group

Arm & Hand Therapy

Upper-limb therapy systems guide, assist or track movement of the shoulder, arm, wrist and fingers, often with interactive exercises on screen. They help therapists run structured, repeatable sessions, and many log each session's data.

By Aarav Mehta

Reviewed October 2026. Prices and availability are read live.

Buying advice

Plan the timetable before the hardware

Upper-limb devices earn their place through the supervised practice they add to each week, so map your therapy timetable before comparing machines. A device aimed at the hand and fingers fills a different slot from one that supports the whole arm against gravity, and a worn device leaves the gym with the patient. Ask each maker whether a therapy assistant can run sessions once a therapist has set the programme, and whether patients can practise semi-independently while staff supervise several stations. Reference sites running a similar caseload will answer these questions more honestly than any demonstration video.

Costs that grow with your caseload

On the October 2026 review, price tags ran from the Hand of Hope (Rehab-Robotics) at about $35,000 to the ArmeoPower (Hocoma) at about $120,000, and each one carried a price. Beyond the purchase, ask about licence fees for extra exercise modules, single-patient items such as straps or liners, and charges for added user accounts on the reporting software. Hocoma has both the ArmeoPower and the ArmeoSpring on this page, so ask whether a mixed fleet from one maker can share training, accessories and service visits. A device prescribed to one person also needs a plan and a budget for refitting as their arm function changes.

Ask for outcomes, not just safety files

Research in Nature Communications by Ferroni and colleagues tested a soft pneumatic exosuit supporting the shoulder and elbow in 14 adults with chronic brachial plexus injury, and reported immediate gains in active range of motion while it was worn. That was a single-session study of a research device, yet it shows what to probe: does any benefit outlast the session, and is a system meant for therapy, daily assistance or both? Ask makers for published outcomes in your own patient groups, and check that those studies used the model and software you are buying. Compliance with IEC 80601-2-78:2019 addresses safety and essential performance; it says nothing about clinical benefit.

What to look for

Which joints it works on, and whether it assists, resists or guides movement
Footprint, adjustability and set-up time between patients
Exercise software, reporting and how patient data is stored

Common questions

How does an arm therapy robot differ from an EMG-driven orthosis?

Arm therapy robots are typically clinic systems that guide or support movement during sessions. EMG-driven orthoses, such as the MyoPro 2+, are worn devices that respond to the user's own muscle signals.

Are these systems suitable for children?

Some makers design for paediatric as well as adult users. Check each system's intended user range and sizing, and follow the advice of the treating clinician.

Sources and further reading

Supporting upper limb movements with a soft robot after a brachial plexus injury — Nature Communications.
A study of a soft shoulder-and-elbow exosuit in adults with brachial plexus injury, with single-session results.
IEC 80601-2-78:2019 Medical robots for rehabilitation, assessment, compensation or alleviation — ISO / IEC.
Safety and essential-performance requirements for medical robots that physically assist patients in rehabilitation.
Rehabilitation fact sheet — World Health Organization.
WHO figures on the global need for rehabilitation, including the 2.4 billion people who could benefit from it.

Rehabilitation Exoskeletons — Powered exoskeletons and orthoses for gait rehabilitation and personal mobility.
Arm & Hand Therapy — Robotic and sensor-based systems for upper-limb therapy, from shoulder to fingertip.
Physical Therapy — Balance trainers, shoulder therapy systems and microprocessor knees for physiotherapy teams.
Gait & Mobility — Robotic gait trainers, wearable motion assist and patient-transfer robots.
Hospital & Care Robots — Hospital delivery robots, telepresence for remote consultations and companions for older adults.
Surgical Robots — How robot-assisted surgical systems work, and how hospitals typically evaluate them.
Robots in Hospitals — The robots hospitals use beyond surgery, from rehabilitation and telepresence to logistics.
Elderly Care Robots — Companion, telepresence and mobility robots that support older adults and their carers.
Medical Humanoids — Where humanoid robots fit in hospitals and care today, and what still keeps them in pilots.
India's Medical Device Rules — How CDSCO classifies and licenses rehab robots and exoskeletons under the Medical Devices Rules, 2017.
What the Evidence Says — What Cochrane reviews found about robot-assisted walking and arm training after stroke, and their limits.
Exoskeletons at Home — What changes when a powered exoskeleton leaves the clinic: eligibility, training, companions and safety.
Patient Data and Robots — How India's DPDP Act 2023 applies to telepresence, care and therapy robots that collect patient data.
Latest updates — Surgical robots gained a new rival, an exoskeleton won approval for home use and hospital robots grew beyond pilots. These figures and dated updates show what changed and what to ask before you buy.
About us — What we cover, how we source every figure, and who publishes this site.

Visit The Humanoid Group

People also search for arm therapy robot, hand rehabilitation robot, upper limb rehabilitation robot, finger rehabilitation device, robotic rehabilitation glove and hand exoskeleton.