Assistive Device For People Research Articles

Design of Tendon-Actuated Robotic Glove Integrated with Optical Fiber Force Myography Sensor

People taken by upper limb disorders caused by neurological diseases suffer from grip weakening, which affects their quality of life. Researches on soft wearable robotics and advances in sensor technology emerge as promising alternatives to develop assistive and rehabilitative technologies. However, current systems rely on surface electromyography and complex machine learning classifiers to retrieve the user intentions. In addition, the grasp assistance through electromechanical or fluidic actuators is passive and does not contribute to the rehabilitation of upper-limb muscles. Therefore, this paper presents a robotic glove integrated with a force myography sensor. The glove-like orthosis features tendon-driven actuation through servo motors, working as an assistive device for people with hand disabilities. The detection of user intentions employs an optical fiber force myography sensor, simplifying the operation beyond the usual electromyography approach. Moreover, the proposed system applies functional electrical stimulation to activate the grasp collaboratively with the tendon mechanism, providing motion support and assisting rehabilitation.

Identification of clinically related requirements of a novel assistive device for people with a high spinal cord injury.

People with spinal cord injuries (SCI), and particularly with high level lesions, can potentially lose the ability to effectively operate computers. The Multimedia Authoring and Management using your Eyes and Mind (MAMEM) project aims to design and produce a novel assistive device to support computer use by individuals with SCI and other disabilities. The solution harnesses eye tracking and brain waves, as measured by encephalography (EEG), to manipulate common computer functions. This paper describes the first step in the project, during which we defined clinically related requirements of the assistive device. These definitions were based on data from three sources: (1) a narrative review; (2) a focus group of SCI rehabilitation professionals; and (3) structured questionnaires administrated to potential computer users with SCI, addressing computer-use habits, barriers, and needs. We describe both the collection of data from each source and the clinically related requirements extracted. The novel three-source requirement assessment method is discussed, and the advantages and disadvantages of each data source are reported. In conclusion, we suggest that this approach makes it possible to organize, discuss, and prioritize the requirements, and to create a work program while planning the device. This increases our level of certainty that the efficacy and adequacy of the assistive device will be maximized, in terms of the clinical needs of users.

Development of Low Cost Supernumerary Robotic Fingers as an Assistive Device

This paper presents the development of new type of wearable robot namely Supernumerary Robotic Finger (SRF) as an assistive robot for healthy people or people with hemiparesis or hemiplegia. SRF comprises of two manipulators attached in user's wrist. Three flex sensors are utilized to measure the finger bending of the user's finger. The posture of SRF is driven by modified glove sensor. The kinematics of both robotic thumb (RT) and robotic finger (RF) is studied using D-H parameter method and RoboAnalyzer software in order to understand the kinematic behavior of this robot. Each of RT and RF has three degrees of freedom (DOF). The posture of RT and RF is controlled using bending angles of thumb and finger from the user that are read by flex sensor. Based on the experimental results for people with healthy hand, the proposed SRF can assist object manipulation task in grasping, holding, and manipulating an object by using single hand when normally it only can be done by using two hands. From the experimental results on a person with healthy hand, the proposed of SRF can be employed as an assistive device for people with hemiparesis or hemiplegia. This device will enable people with diminished hand function work more independently.

New Assistive Device for People with Motor Disabilities

In this paper, a new mechanism for human leg motion assistance for rehabilitation purposes has been proposed. The structure of human leg and its motions have been used as inspiration for design purposes. A 3D model of the proposed system has been elaborated in Solid Works®, both for design and simulation purposes. It is developed a kinematic model of the mechanism, useful for further design optimization. There has been build an experimental model of the mechanism and they are conducted experimental researches. The result shows that the proposed mechanism performs movements similar to those of a human leg.

Mobile Colored Overlays for People with Visual Stress

A colored overlay has been used as an assistive device for people with visual stress. Recently, a kind of mobile colored overlays has been developed; however, it can’t be applied to all contents of its environment. In this paper, I implemented a mobile overlay application based on the Android operating system and it can be applied to not only all contents in the system but also external contents such as book using camera mode. To achieve this, I measured film overlay colors at transmit mode and reflect mode by using spectrum colorimeter and estimated and implemented color information to apply to virtual overlays. Chromaticity measured in reflect mode was heavier than the one measured in transmit mode. I found I needed to use chromaticity measured in reflect mode in order to keep the film’s overlay effect in virtual colored overlay, which was applied to printed paper. The test results showed that it had the same effect as when existing film overlay was used on white paper, with the exception of color effect on the white screen of mobile devices.

Assistive device for people with mobility disabilities

Assistive device for people with mobility disabilities