scholarly journals A HERO for Stroke Patients: a new hand exoskeleton 3D printed on textiles for rehabilitation

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rommel Soares de Araujo ◽  
Camille Reategui Silva ◽  
Severino Peixoto Nunes Netto ◽  
Edgard Morya ◽  
Fabricio Lima Brasil
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Life Quality ◽  
Motor Deficits ◽  
Stroke Survivors ◽  
Motor Rehabilitation ◽  
Stroke Patients ◽  
Dc Motors ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
Hand Exoskeleton ◽  
Robotic Devices

Abstract Background: Stroke survivors can be affected by motor deficits in the hand. Robotic equipment associated with brain-machine interfaces (BMI) may aid the motor rehabilitation of these patients. BMIs involving orthotic control by motor imagery practices have been successful in restoring stroke patients' movements. However, there is still little acceptance of the robotic devices available, either by patients and clinicians, mainly because of the high costs involved. Motivated by this context, the present work aims to design and construct the Hand Exoskeleton for Rehabilitation Objectives (HERO) to recover extension and flexion movements of the fingers. Methods: 3D printing technique in association with textiles was used to produce a lightweight and wearable device. 3D-printed actuators have also been designed to reduce equipment costs. The actuator transforms the torque of DC motors into linear force transmitted by Bowden cables to move the fingers passively. The exoskeleton was controlled by neuroelectric signal --- electroencephalography (EEG). Concept tests were performed to evaluate control performance. A healthy volunteer was submitted to a training block with the exoskeleton, according to the Graz-BCI protocol. Ergonomy was evaluated with a 2D tracking software. Results: The outcome of the applied manufacturing technique was aesthetically pleasing. HERO's glove can be compared to ordinary clothing. The weight over the hand was around 102 g. The volunteer was able to control the exoskeleton with 91.5\% accuracy. Conclusions: HERO's project resulted in a lightweight, simple, portable, ergonomic, and low-cost device. Its use is not restricted to a clinical setting. Thus, users will be able to execute motor training with the HERO at hospitals, rehabilitation clinics, and home, increasing the rehabilitation intervention time. This may favor motor rehabilitation and improve the life quality of stroke survivors.

scholarly journals Development of a Low-Cost EEG-Controlled Hand Exoskeleton 3D Printed on Textiles

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rommel S. Araujo ◽  
Camille R. Silva ◽  
Severino P. N. Netto ◽  
Edgard Morya ◽  
Fabricio L. Brasil
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Training Session ◽  
Life Quality ◽  
Motor Deficits ◽  
Stroke Survivors ◽  
Motor Rehabilitation ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
Hand Exoskeleton ◽  
Robotic Devices

Stroke survivors can be affected by motor deficits in the hand. Robotic equipment associated with brain–machine interfaces (BMI) may aid the motor rehabilitation of these patients. BMIs involving orthotic control by motor imagery practices have been successful in restoring stroke patients' movements. However, there is still little acceptance of the robotic devices available, either by patients and clinicians, mainly because of the high costs involved. Motivated by this context, this work aims to design and construct the Hand Exoskeleton for Rehabilitation Objectives (HERO) to recover extension and flexion movements of the fingers. A three-dimensional (3D) printing technique in association with textiles was used to produce a lightweight and wearable device. 3D-printed actuators have also been designed to reduce equipment costs. The actuator transforms the torque of DC motors into linear force transmitted by Bowden cables to move the fingers passively. The exoskeleton was controlled by neuroelectric signal—electroencephalography (EEG). Concept tests were performed to evaluate control performance. A healthy volunteer was submitted to a training session with the exoskeleton, according to the Graz-BCI protocol. Ergonomy was evaluated with a two-dimensional (2D) tracking software and correlation analysis. HERO can be compared to ordinary clothing. The weight over the hand was around 102 g. The participant was able to control the exoskeleton with a classification accuracy of 91.5%. HERO project resulted in a lightweight, simple, portable, ergonomic, and low-cost device. Its use is not restricted to a clinical setting. Thus, users will be able to execute motor training with the HERO at hospitals, rehabilitation clinics, and at home, increasing the rehabilitation intervention time. This may support motor rehabilitation and improve stroke survivors life quality.

The Sparthan Three-Dimensional Printed Exo-Glove: A Preliminary Evaluation of Performance Via Case Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomás A. Georgiou ◽  
Davide Asnaghi ◽  
Alva Liang ◽  
Alice M. Agogino
Keyword(s):  
Light Intensity ◽  
Daily Living ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Preliminary Evaluation ◽  
Evaluation Of Performance ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
Hand Exoskeleton ◽  
And Performance

This paper describes the development and testing of a low-cost three-dimensional (3D) printed wearable hand exoskeleton to assist people with limited finger mobility and grip strength. The function of the presented orthosis is to support and enable light intensity activities of daily living and improve the ability to grasp and hold objects. The Sparthan Exoskeleton prototype utilizes a cable-driven design applied to individual digits with motors. The initial prototype is presented in this paper along with a preliminary evaluation of durability and performance efficacy.

scholarly journals Mental Practice Combined with Motor Rehabilitation to Treat Upper Limb Hemiparesis of Post-Stroke Patients: Clinical and Experimental Evidence

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergio Machado ◽  
Eduardo Lattari ◽  
Flávia Paes ◽  
Nuno B.F. Rocha ◽  
Antonio E. Nardi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Daily Living ◽  
Mental Practice ◽  
Motor Deficits ◽  
Motor Rehabilitation ◽  
Stroke Patients ◽  
Rehabilitation Process ◽  
Post Stroke ◽  
Sensorimotor Deficits ◽  
The World ◽  
Per Se

Stroke is one of the major causes of disability in the world. Due to the extended lifetime of the world's population, the number of people affected by stroke has increased substantially over the last years. Stroke may lead to sensorimotor deficits, usually causing hemiplegia or hemiparesia. In order to reduce motor deficits and accelerate functional recovery, MP combined with motor rehabilitation was introduced to the rehabilitation process of post-stroke patients. Evidence has shown that MP combining with motor rehabilitation based on activities of daily living was more effective than conventional motor rehabilitation used per se. This combination proved very useful and effective, with significant results in improvement of motor deficits in post-stroke patients. However, further studies must be conducted to determine specific parameters, such as type of imagery, frequency or duration.

scholarly journals Low cost 3d-printed hand exoskeleton controlled by a BCI

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christoph Wilms ◽  
Marisol Rodríguez-Ugarte ◽  
Eduarde Iañez ◽  
José M. Azorín
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
Hand Exoskeleton

A review: Motor rehabilitation after stroke with control based on human intent

2018 ◽  
Vol 232 (4) ◽  
pp. 344-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Min Li ◽  
Guanghua Xu ◽  
Jun Xie ◽  
Chaoyang Chen
Keyword(s):  
Motor Recovery ◽  
Stroke Survivors ◽  
Motor Rehabilitation ◽  
Stroke Patients ◽  
Acquired Disability ◽  
Human Motor ◽  
Rehabilitation Assessment

Strokes are a leading cause of acquired disability worldwide, and there is a significant need for novel interventions and further research to facilitate functional motor recovery in stroke patients. This article reviews motor rehabilitation methods for stroke survivors with a focus on rehabilitation controlled by human motor intent. The review begins with the neurodevelopmental principles of motor rehabilitation that provide the neuroscientific basis for intuitively controlled rehabilitation, followed by a review of methods allowing human motor intent detection, biofeedback approaches, and quantitative motor rehabilitation assessment. Challenges for future advances in motor rehabilitation after stroke using intuitively controlled approaches are addressed.

Development and Analysis of Robotic Arms for Humanoid Melo

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
He Shen ◽  
Salvador Rojas ◽  
Eduardo Molina ◽  
Francisco Moxo Galicia ◽  
Ni Li
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Degree Of Freedom ◽  
Robotic Arm ◽  
Design Development ◽  
Brushless Dc Motors ◽  
Robotic Arms ◽  
Brushless Dc ◽  
Dc Motors ◽  
Comparable Performance ◽  
3D Printed

A robotic arm is one of the most sophisticated components of a humanoid, due to its complexity in multi-degree-of-freedom actuation and sensing, size and weight constraints, and requirement for object manipulation. This paper talks about the design, development, and verification of a low-cost, light-weight robotic manipulator that can achieve anthropomorphic movements. The 5 degree-of-freedom robotic arm has a fully extended length of 31 – inches and weight of 7 - pounds. The joints of the arm were fabricated using mainly 3D printed parts using Polylactic Acid and Nylon and linked with carbon fiber tubing. The arm is actuated by 2 servo motors at the distal joint and 3 brushless DC motors at the proximal joints. All joints of the arm perform at zero backlash through harmonic gear boxes, which are also assembled mainly from 3D printed parts. The robotic arm has demonstrated a comparable performance to similar robotic arms on the market with significantly reduced cost.

scholarly journals A Low-Cost Soft Robotic Hand Exoskeleton for Use in Therapy of Limited Hand–Motor Function

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (18) ◽  
pp. 3751 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grant Rudd ◽  
Liam Daly ◽  
Vukica Jovanovic ◽  
Filip Cuckov
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Physical Therapy ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Human Hand ◽  
Robotic Hand ◽  
Healthy Human ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
Hand Exoskeleton ◽  
Arduino Microcontroller ◽  
Work Done

We present the design and validation of a low-cost, customizable and 3D-printed anthropomorphic soft robotic hand exoskeleton for rehabilitation of hand injuries using remotely administered physical therapy regimens. The design builds upon previous work done on cable actuated exoskeleton designs by implementing the same kinematic functionality, but with the focus shifted to ease of assembly and cost effectiveness as to allow patients and physicians to manufacture and assemble the hardware necessary to implement treatment. The exoskeleton was constructed solely from 3D-printed and widely available off-the-shelf components. Control of the actuators was realized using an Arduino microcontroller, with a custom-designed shield to facilitate ease of wiring. Tests were conducted to verify that the range of motion of the digits and the forces exerted at the fingertip coincided with those of a healthy human hand.

Including Social Interaction in Stroke VR-Based Motor Rehabilitation Enhances Performance: A Pilot Study

2012 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 490-501 ◽  
Author(s):  
Belén Rubio Ballester ◽  
Sergi Bermúdez i Badia ◽  
Paul F. M. J. Verschure
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Social Interaction ◽  
Social Factors ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Elbow Flexion ◽  
Motor Rehabilitation ◽  
Stroke Patients ◽  
Rehabilitation Process ◽  
Flexion Extension

Social factors and motivation are key factors for recovery in stroke patients (Glass, Matchar, Belyea, & Feussner, 1993). The goal of this study is to enhance accessibility and evaluate the effects of including social interaction in a virtual reality (VR) -based system for stroke rehabilitation. We hypothesize that a multiplayer competitive context will have a positive effect on the involvement of the patients in the therapy and thus on the rehabilitation process. We test this hypothesis using the Rehabilitation Gaming System (RGS), an ICT virtual reality tool for upper extremities motor rehabilitation. First, we implemented and evaluated a new interface based on a low-cost key-glove. Then, we developed a dedicated RGS scenario where the player has to match pairs of cards from a stack of playing cards. This task trains cognitive (memory) and motor tasks (grasping and reaching). Eight stroke patients participated in two sessions lasting 20 min, one using a single-player VR environment and another using a multiplayer version of the same game. A usability test showed that participants interact with the system much faster when using the new key-glove–based interface (p = .02) in comparison to a mouse and keyboard. In addition, our results showed that upper limb exercises performed by the patients in multiplayer mode reached wider elbow flexion/extension movements than the ones performed during the single-player game session (p = .04). Considering that the presence of spasticity is very common in patients affected by an ictus and that it causes an ongoing level of contraction, these results suggest that the patients affected displayed more effort in reaching if engaged in a social task. Our study shows that accessibility and social engagement in multiplayer environments positively affects the patients' performance and enjoyment during the task. Although the long-term impact of this enhanced motivation needs to be further assessed, our results do suggest that the inclusion of social factors such as multiplayer capabilities is an important factor for the rehabilitation process in VR-based therapy and might have an impact on both performance and mood of stroke patients.

scholarly journals Design of a 3D printed hybrid mechanical structure for a hand exoskeleton

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jens Vertongen ◽  
Derek Kamper
Keyword(s):  
Daily Living ◽  
Stroke Survivor ◽  
Dorsal Side ◽  
Stroke Survivors ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Mechanical Structure ◽  
Prototype Development ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
Hand Exoskeleton ◽  
High Range

AbstractStroke survivors often have difficulty performing activities of daily living (ADLs) due to hand impairments. Several assistive devices have been developed for stroke survivors to assist them with ADLs but most of these devices are difficult to don and doff for a stroke survivor due to highly flexed postures of the wrist and digits. This paper presents a hybrid 3D printed mechanical structure for an assistive hand exoskeleton created for stroke survivors. The design facilitates donning and doffing of the assistive exoskeleton by enabling an approach entirely from the dorsal side of the hand, thereby allowing the fingers to stay flexed. The design criteria, resulting design and the prototype development are presented. The initial prototype of the structure, using a hybrid combination of rigid and flexible materials, was lightweight (only 185 g), while maintaining a high range of motion. Future directions for further improvements and user studies are described.

scholarly journals Design of a 3D-Printed Hand Exoskeleton Based on Force-Myography Control for Assistance and Rehabilitation

Machines ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 57
Author(s):  
Daniele Esposito ◽  
Jessica Centracchio ◽  
Emilio Andreozzi ◽  
Sergio Savino ◽  
Gaetano D. Gargiulo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Average Power ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Cerebral Stroke ◽  
Hand Motion ◽  
Flexion Extension ◽  
Force Myography ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
Hand Exoskeleton ◽  
Time Required

Voluntary hand movements are usually impaired after a cerebral stroke, affecting millions of people per year worldwide. Recently, the use of hand exoskeletons for assistance and motor rehabilitation has become increasingly widespread. This study presents a novel hand exoskeleton, designed to be low cost, wearable, easily adaptable and suitable for home use. Most of the components of the exoskeleton are 3D printed, allowing for easy replication, customization and maintenance at a low cost. A strongly underactuated mechanical system allows one to synergically move the four fingers by means of a single actuator through a rigid transmission, while the thumb is kept in an adduction or abduction position. The exoskeleton’s ability to extend a typical hypertonic paretic hand of stroke patients was firstly tested using the SimScape Multibody simulation environment; this helped in the choice of a proper electric actuator. Force-myography was used instead of the standard electromyography to voluntarily control the exoskeleton with more simplicity. The user can activate the flexion/extension of the exoskeleton by a weak contraction of two antagonist muscles. A symmetrical master–slave motion strategy (i.e., the paretic hand motion is activated by the healthy hand) is also available for patients with severe muscle atrophy. An inexpensive microcontroller board was used to implement the electronic control of the exoskeleton and provide feedback to the user. The entire exoskeleton including batteries can be worn on the patient’s arm. The ability to provide a fluid and safe grip, like that of a healthy hand, was verified through kinematic analyses obtained by processing high-framerate videos. The trajectories described by the phalanges of the natural and the exoskeleton finger were compared by means of cross-correlation coefficients; a similarity of about 80% was found. The time required for both closing and opening of the hand exoskeleton was about 0.9 s. A rigid cylindric handlebar containing a load cell measured an average power grasp force of 94.61 N, enough to assist the user in performing most of the activities of daily living. The exoskeleton can be used as an aid and to promote motor function recovery during patient’s neurorehabilitation therapy.

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