Soft Gripper Gloves with Mirroring System Design for Hand Rehabilitation

Abstract

Over the last decade, soft robotic gripper systems, such as grippers, have been used in a variety of applications, particularly in human rehabilitation. This study aims to enhance the rehabilitation process by creating a mirroring system glove for hand paralysis patients due to injury, stroke, hemiplegia, and others. A soft and flexible liquid silicone rubber (LSR) was used to develop and build a pair of gloves to improve comfort and safety compared with rigid rehabilitation equipment. The non-affected hand’s sensory glove, equipped with flex sensors, detects motion by measuring the bending angle at each finger. The other glove uses Arduino and a pneumatic system to help the afflicted hand accomplish training exercises. The new design of a gripper is important for manufacturing gloves that provide acceptable gripping behavior.