Fully Wearable Actuated Soft Exoskeleton for Grasping Assistance in Everyday Activities

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Engineering
• Biomedical Engineering
• Assistive Technology

Background:

• Over 50 million individuals worldwide experience persistent hand impairments post-stroke or spinal cord injury (SCI), significantly impacting independence and quality of life.
• Existing robotic hand exoskeletons offer partial assistance but struggle with the dexterity, safety, and user-friendliness required for daily activities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce RELab tenoexo, a fully wearable soft hand exoskeleton designed for daily activities.
• To present a customizable and adaptable device with remote actuation for reduced hand weight and an automated tailoring algorithm for individual user needs.

Main Methods:

• Design and development of a soft hand exoskeleton with sleek mechanisms for four common grasp types.
• Implementation of a remote actuation system to minimize weight on the hand.
• Inclusion of modular design, customization options, and an automated tailoring algorithm for personalized assistance.

Main Results:

• Mechanical evaluation indicates RELab tenoexo meets range of motion and fingertip force requirements for up to 80% of grasping activities.
• User testing highlights benefits of low weight, unobtrusive size, high comfort, and appealing aesthetics for user acceptance and daily usability.
• Demonstrated immediate improvement in functional grasping ability in a spinal cord injury (SCI) subject.

Conclusions:

• RELab tenoexo is a promising assistive soft hand exoskeleton for daily activities, addressing key challenges in user acceptance and adaptability.
• The device's design and features facilitate improved functional grasping and enhance the quality of life for individuals with neuromotor hand impairments.
• Further integration of such technologies can significantly aid in restoring independence for stroke and SCI survivors.