A Soft Robotic Glove for Assistance and Rehabilitation of Stroke Affected Patients

Abstract

People suffering from a neurological injury such as stroke or spinal cord injury can suffer from a partial or total loss of their limbs, including hands which can harm their quality of life. It can be countered by the use of prosthetic and robotic support. This article describes the development of a soft wearable robotic glove for stroke-affected patients with limited hand mobility. The developed prototype utilizes Electromyography (EMG) signals that control the system as per the user's intention through actuators. The prototype developed in this work is a cable driven system which eliminates the need of rigid frames and thereby allowing the weight of soft robotic glove to be less than 50 grams and provides flexibility and comfort to the user. The device aims to regulate the grip force of the patient and allows him/her to perform activities of daily life (like grasping a cup) without external help. To enhance the rehabilitation, the robotic glove can also be controlled by another sensor glove that can be worn by the user on their unaffected hand or by a physiotherapist. The glove worn on the affected hand mimics the movement of the sensor glove. The proposed system is cost effective and can be used to handle up to 500 grams of weight. The performance of the glove is evaluated for a stroke affected patients and aged persons to analyze the grip force provided by the device and the range of motion of grip. The results show that the offered assistive strength is sufficient to improve the stroke-affected hand.