Form and function - Exemplary analysis of the significance for the design of rehabilitation devices

Stroke often leads to motor impairment that could be recovered by extensive training. Multiple devices exist to support the rehabilitation process. Most systems interact directly with the patient and therefore, depend strongly on the ergonomic design which is determined by its form and function. In this work the interdependence of form and function and their particular significance for the development of rehabilitation devices are outlined. As a case study the development of a hand rehabilitation device is presented, where two approaches answering different key questions to focus either on function or form were realized at the same time to generate different concepts. The function-oriented approach led to a concept based on linkages and the form-oriented approach to one using leaf springs. In the discussion, the differences between the approaches are analyzed in respect to the creation of a geometrical-material entireness. Furthermore, new findings are discussed and the integration of both concepts into a final prototype is shown.