Abstract: With the aggravation of global aging and the increase of incidence rate of stroke, traumatic brain injury, and other neurological diseases, the need for upper limb rehabilitation is increasingly urgent. Traditional rehabilitation methods are limited by the shortage of therapist resources and the difficulty in quantifying treatment intensity and effectiveness. However, upper limb rehabilitation robots provide a new direction to solve these problems. This article systematically reviewed the research progress and clinical application status of terminal traction and exoskeleton upper limb rehabilitation robots. Through in-depth analysis of relevant literature, the technical characteristics, clinical efficacy, and application scenarios of these two types of robots were summarized. Research has found that upper limb rehabilitation robots have shown positive potential in improving limb function and enhancing daily living activities in patients with upper limb motor dysfunction, and have achieved certain results in both short-term and long-term rehabilitation treatments, but there is still a lack of large-scale, long-term research data support to compare with traditional rehabilitation methods. At present, this field is facing challenges such as high equipment costs, complex operations, and insufficient clinical validation. In the future, there is an urgent need to enhance the intelligence, adaptability, and cost-effectiveness of rehabilitation robots through the integration of artificial intelligence, biomechanics, and sensor technology, and to develop user-friendly products that better meet the needs of patients. This will promote the widespread application of rehabilitation robots in clinical practice and effectively improve the quality of life of patients with upper limb dysfunction.

Key words: Upper limb rehabilitation robot, Terminal traction, Exoskeleton, Research progress, Clinical application