{"ID":2891391,"CreatedAt":"2026-06-01T04:54:23.091178241Z","UpdatedAt":"2026-06-01T04:54:23.091178241Z","DeletedAt":null,"paper_url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.17561","arxiv_id":"2507.17561","title":"Robot-mediated physical Human-Human Interaction in Neurorehabilitation: a position paper","abstract":"Neurorehabilitation conventionally relies on the interaction between a patient and a physical therapist. Robotic systems can improve and enrich the physical feedback provided to patients after neurological injury, but they under-utilize the adaptability and clinical expertise of trained therapists. In this position paper, we advocate for a novel approach that integrates the therapist's clinical expertise and nuanced decision-making with the strength, accuracy, and repeatability of robotics: Robot-mediated physical Human-Human Interaction. This framework, which enables two individuals to physically interact through robotic devices, has been studied across diverse research groups and has recently emerged as a promising link between conventional manual therapy and rehabilitation robotics, harmonizing the strengths of both approaches. This paper presents the rationale of a multidisciplinary team-including engineers, doctors, and physical therapists-for conducting research that utilizes: a unified taxonomy to describe robot-mediated rehabilitation, a framework of interaction based on social psychology, and a technological approach that makes robotic systems seamless facilitators of natural human-human interaction.","short_abstract":"Neurorehabilitation conventionally relies on the interaction between a patient and a physical therapist. Robotic systems can improve and enrich the physical feedback provided to patients after neurological injury, but they under-utilize the adaptability and clinical expertise of trained therapists. In this position pap...","url_abs":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.17561","url_pdf":"https://arxiv.org/pdf/2507.17561v2","authors":"[\"Lorenzo Vianello\",\"Matthew Short\",\"Julia Manczurowsky\",\"Emek Barış Küçüktabak\",\"Francesco Di Tommaso\",\"Alessia Noccaro\",\"Laura Bandini\",\"Shoshana Clark\",\"Alaina Fiorenza\",\"Francesca Lunardini\",\"Alberto Canton\",\"Marta Gandolla\",\"Alessandra L. G. Pedrocchi\",\"Emilia Ambrosini\",\"Manuel Murie-Fernandez\",\"Carmen B. Roman\",\"Jesus Tornero\",\"Natacha Leon\",\"Andrew Sawers\",\"Jim Patton\",\"Domenico Formica\",\"Nevio Luigi Tagliamonte\",\"Georg Rauter\",\"Kilian Baur\",\"Fabian Just\",\"Christopher J. Hasson\",\"Vesna D. Novak\",\"Jose L. Pons\"]","published":"2025-07-23T14:51:55Z","proceeding":"cs.RO","tasks":"[\"cs.RO\"]","methods":"[]","has_code":false}