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Updated: Jun 6, 2026
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Development of a Novel Task-oriented Rehabilitation Program using a Bimanual Exoskeleton Robotic Hand
Published on: May 20, 2020
Self-adaptive Under actuated Biomimetic Soft Robotic Hand Exoskeleton to Improve dexterity and Grasping Capabilities
Mohamed Hamdy Abdelhafiz1, Erika Spaich2, Strahinja Dosen3
1Aalborg University, Aalborg University, Selma Lagerlofs Vej 249, Gistrup, Denmark, Aalborg, Aalborg, North Denmark Region, 9260, Denmark.
Bioinspiration & Biomimetics
|June 5, 2026
Summary
This study presents a novel soft hand exoskeleton using a biomimetic pulley system for adaptive grasping. The device ensures stable grips on various objects with minimal alteration to natural finger poses.
Area of Science:
- Robotics and Biomechanics
- Rehabilitation Engineering
Background:
- Existing hand exoskeletons often lack adaptive grasping capabilities for irregular objects.
- Underactuated mechanisms offer potential for simplified control and biomimetic movement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a novel soft hand exoskeleton utilizing an underactuated biomimetic pulley differential mechanism.
- To enable adaptive and stable grasping of objects with varying shapes using a single motor.
- To investigate the grasping kinetics and finger pose alterations during use.
Main Methods:
- Development of a soft hand exoskeleton with a unique pulley differential mechanism coupling thumb, index, and middle fingers.
- Implementation of a mechanical force constraint for equilibrium grasp.
- Inclusion of solenoids for individual finger deactivation to achieve different grasp types.
- Experimental testing on eight able-bodied subjects to evaluate grasping performance.
Main Results:
- The exoskeleton achieved stable grasps on both regular and irregular objects.
- Power grasps exerted forces of 10.3 N (regular) and 11.5 N (irregular) with minimal finger pose changes (approx. 9.8% and 8.9%).
- Pinch grasp (deactivating middle finger) yielded a grasp force of approximately 7 N.
Conclusions:
- The proposed biomimetic pulley differential mechanism enables effective and adaptive grasping.
- The system demonstrates potential for assisting in diverse daily activities requiring varied hand poses.
- The force constraint mechanism ensures stable grasps across different hand configurations.
