Soft robotic glove with integrated sEMG sensing for disabled people with hand paralysis

Abstract

Stroke affects about 15 million people worldwide annually, and 80% of stroke survivors are left with hand paralysis. A wearable soft robotic glove that aims to restore basic hand function was designed to improve quality of life for people with hand paralysis. This soft robotic glove utilizes a cable system and an under-actuated mechanism to assist patients to grasp objects or open hand. The glove part of this device only weights 50g, and can generate a maximum 35N grasp force, which is capable of handling most daily life activities. Objects with various shapes can be grasped without active control due to the usage of under-actuated mechanism. Myoelectric signals are used as control source of the glove through integrated surface electromyography electrodes (sEMG). Besides, a proportional control method is adopted to improve the performance of our device. We also combine sEMG control and Mirror Therapy together in order to generate an effective method for rehabilitation training.