Application of Robot to Hand Function Rehabilitation

Abstract

Background: Hand is one of the most important and common parts of the body. Hand dysfunction caused by hemiplegia and hand injury is difficult to restore, which leads to high disability rates. The patients' daily life and work ability are seriously affected. With the aging of the society, the number of stroke patients with hemiplegia is gradually increasing. The research and application of the robot with the combination of robot and assistive rehabilitation therapy have come into being. Hand function rehabilitation robot has more practical value. It can simulate the human hand’s movements to realize the rehabilitation training of human hands. Objective: To give a general summary of recent hand function rehabilitation robot, and a presentation of their respective characteristics including drive type and rehabilitation training mode. Methods: This paper summarizes various patents and research developments about hand function rehabilitation robot. From the aspects of structural characteristics, drive type and rehabilitation training mode and applications situation, the advantages and disadvantages of the typical hand function rehabilitation robots are represented. Results: Current and future development trends on the structural characteristics, drive type and rehabilitation training mode and applications situation of hand function rehabilitation robots are discussed to improve the humanization, marketization, modularization and intelligence of the hand function rehabilitation robot. Conclusion: Considerable attention has been paid onto the hand function rehabilitation robot. Hand function rehabilitation robot can effectively improve the hand function of patients' and the elderly's the actual quality of life and family well-being. Further improvements are needed in the aspects of hand biomechanics, neurophysiology, rehabilitation training mode, actuators and sensors, physical manmachine interaction and ergonomics of the hand function rehabilitation robot. More patents on hand function rehabilitation robot should be invented. Keywords: Bionic principle, drive type, hand function rehabilitation robot, hand rehabilitation training, motor, pneumatic artificial muscle, pneumatic cylinder, shape memory alloy.