Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-2019

DOI

10.3390/app9183751

Publication Title

Applied Sciences

Volume

9

Issue

18

Pages

3751 (1-15 pp.)

Abstract

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 of-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.

Rights

© 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Original Publication Citation

Rudd, G., Daly, L., Jovanovic, V., & Cuckov, F. (2019). A low-cost soft robotic hand exoskeleton for use in therapy of limited hand–motor function. Applied Sciences, 9(18), Article 3751. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/app9183751

ORCID

0000-0002-8626-903X (Jovanovic)

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