Flexo-glove: A 3D Printed Soft Exoskeleton Robotic Glove for Impaired Hand Rehabilitation and Assistance

Abstract

This paper presents a compact and streamlined design of a soft exoskeleton glove for assistance in activities of daily livings and also rehabilitation purposes of patients with hand function impairment. Most of the existing hand exoskeletons have focused on either providing a customizable and modular design or making it portable to be used outside the hospital environment. We have developed a design of an exoskeleton glove that combines both of these features in one compact design. This was achieved by using a parameterised CAD design of glove, 3D printing of soft (i.e., compliant) materials, design a bidirectional cable driven spooling system and integrating them together in a modular fashion. The overall weight of the Flexo-glove is 330g including battery and is able to provide 22N pinch force, 48N power grasp force and object grasp size of up to 81mm in diameter. The device has two control modes: intention-sensing via wireless sEMG for assistive mode and externally-directed via an accompanying smartphone application for rehabilitation (repetitive exercise) programs, both managed through Bluetooth communication. The effectiveness of the proposed design is evaluated in performing cylindrical, hook, and pinch grasps on various objects.