After a stroke, stroke survivors often experience severe upper limb impairments that affect their ability to perform daily tasks independently. Current wearable robots usually focus on either hand or wrist assistance, although the combined movements of both are crucial for activities of daily living (ADL). In our study, we introduce a novel wearable robot integrating a soft robotic glove and a wearable wrist robot into a single compact unit. The robot can assist multiple degree of freedom (DOF) movements of both the hand and wrist. The hybrid actuation mechanism, which combines cables and elastic elements, enables natural movement while maintaining high DOF and compactness. Three experiments were conducted with healthy participants to evaluate the robot’s performance and usability. Results indicate promising outcomes in task performance, easy donning/doffing, and user satisfaction. This research highlights the potential of integrating wearable robots in enhancing the independence of stroke survivors.

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Multi-DOF Dexterous Wearable Robot for Hand and Wrist

  • Seungmin Ye,
  • Hojik Lee,
  • Yeongtae Kim,
  • Hyung-Soon Park

摘要

After a stroke, stroke survivors often experience severe upper limb impairments that affect their ability to perform daily tasks independently. Current wearable robots usually focus on either hand or wrist assistance, although the combined movements of both are crucial for activities of daily living (ADL). In our study, we introduce a novel wearable robot integrating a soft robotic glove and a wearable wrist robot into a single compact unit. The robot can assist multiple degree of freedom (DOF) movements of both the hand and wrist. The hybrid actuation mechanism, which combines cables and elastic elements, enables natural movement while maintaining high DOF and compactness. Three experiments were conducted with healthy participants to evaluate the robot’s performance and usability. Results indicate promising outcomes in task performance, easy donning/doffing, and user satisfaction. This research highlights the potential of integrating wearable robots in enhancing the independence of stroke survivors.