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Author Spotlight: Enhancing Grasping Abilities for Hemiplegic Patients with Flexible Robotic Limbs
Published on: October 27, 2023
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Towards a wearable hand exoskeleton with embedded synergies
Summary
A new 3D printed soft hand exoskeleton, HEXOES, offers promising range of motion and velocity for synergy-based control in hand rehabilitation for paralysis patients.
Area of Science:
- Robotics
- Rehabilitation Engineering
- Biomechanics
Background:
- Hand paralysis due to stroke or injury necessitates assistive devices.
- Existing hand exoskeletons aim to aid in rehabilitation and daily tasks.
- Synergy-based control offers a promising approach for natural hand movement restoration.
Purpose of the Study:
- Introduce and mechanically characterize a novel 3D printed soft hand exoskeleton, HEXOES (Hand Exoskeleton with Embedded Synergies).
- Evaluate the HEXOES's range of motion and angular velocity for synergy-based control applications.
- Establish HEXOES as a potential test-bed for clinical hand rehabilitation research.
Main Methods:
- 3D printing a soft hand exoskeleton (HEXOES).
- Mechanical characterization of metacarpophalangeal (MCP) and proximal interphalangeal/interphalangeal (PIP/IP) joints.
- Measurement of maximum flexion angles and angular velocities for key hand joints.
Main Results:
- HEXOES achieved maximum MCP flexion angles of 53.7 ± 16.9° and PIP/IP flexion angles of 39.9 ± 13.4°.
- Maximum MCP angular velocity was 94.5 ± 41.9 degrees/s, and maximum PIP angular velocity was 74.6 ± 67.3 degrees/s.
- These kinematic parameters align with requirements for synergy-based control.
Conclusions:
- The HEXOES demonstrates suitable range of motion and angular velocity for effective hand rehabilitation.
- The soft exoskeleton design is compatible with synergy-based control strategies.
- HEXOES serves as a viable platform for future research in clinical hand rehabilitation.
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