Ring-pull Type Soft Wearable Robotic Glove for Hand Strength Assistance

Abstract

This letter proposes and verifies a new method, the ring-pull mechanism, to overcome the disadvantages of existing wearable robotic gloves. By attaching a ring to the metacarpopha-langeal joint of the finger, the ring-pull mechanism supplements the grasping force of the user, while reducing the weight of the entire wearable robotic glove system. Ring-pull mechanism experiments were conducted to determine which finger combinations had the most positive effect on muscle strength assistance, and through this, the Ring-Pull type Soft Glove (RPSG) was developed. The main body of the developed RPSG is composed of single polymer silicon, a soft material, and is driven by tendon-driven actuation. The tendon path is secured through a tube attached to the palm that matches the direction of the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS). The new type of wearable robotic glove was manufactured with the proposed mechanism, and excellent fit and strength support effects were confirmed. The RPSG increased the subject's grasping force by 25.69% on average, and the %MVIC data analysis demonstrated that the activation of FDS decreased by about 23.51%. As a result, it was confirmed that the user's muscle efficiency was increased due to the muscle support and muscle function improvement provided by the RPSG.