Bidirectional Myoelectric (BIMYO) Soft Robotic Glove Technology For Robot-Assisted Hand Therapy in Stroke Patients

In the researchers' words

Stroke patients have limited hand mobility post-stroke, thus inhibiting them from performing daily functional tasks independently, resulting in reduced quality of life. Current hand rehabilitation robotic devices are typically driven by rigid linkages/joints, which subject the fingers into a single plane of motion that is unnatural and uncomfortable. These devices belong to the class of continuous passive motion (CPM) devices that only promote hand range-of-motion, but do not require the patient to play an active role in performing the hand exercises. There is a strong need for a device that can resolve the lack of compliant robot-assisted hand motion and lack of intuitive user control in assistive and rehabilitation processes. This proposed research aims to fill the above-mentioned gaps for current hand rehabilitation devices by developing a soft robotic glove that provides compliant assistance to bidirectional hand motion, coupled with intuitive user control. In the short term, the robotic glove will likely enhance the patients' hand flexion-extension range of motion and improve the neuro-motor control of the hand. In the long term, the robotic glove will act as an adjunct to therapists, thereby raising productivity in the presence of growing manpower constraints and optimizing therapy time for the patients; this can potentially enhance recovery time and quality of life,…