Applying Soft Actuator Technology for Hand Rehabilitation

Abstract

In modern society, the ever-growing prevalence of stroke or hand disability, putting an extreme burden on the limited financial resources and capacities of health care providers in some of the Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC). Due to the large scale of flexibility and adaptability, soft robots turn into a smart solution for hand rehabilitation, especially soft pneumatic actuators. In this paper, we proposed a general design of soft robotic glove for hand rehabilitation with functional grasp pathologies by applying soft pneumatic actuator technology. Soft actuator included integrated channel connect each chamber to lead the air to go through the entire actuator and produce bending motion conforms with human finger shape and motion. Base on this aspect, before fabrication, a Finite Element Model (FEM) was built to analyze the bending curvature of these actuators. The soft actuator is cast in 3D printing molds using low-cost elastomer Ecoflex™ 0050. We carried out empirical tests to validate the findings of experimental actuators and compared them to FEM data displaying strong agreement. Finally, the design of a wearable for patients to practice rehabilitative activities such as grasping patterns. The outcome of this paper shows that the design of rehabilitation glove using soft actuator technology gave a successful solution for the health care system with low-cost material.