Problem Statement
Inability to carry out Daily Living Tasks Due to Disability
Hand motor disability is highly prevalent in clinical conditions such as stroke, spinal cord injury and cerebral palsy. This type of motor disabilities inhibits the patients from being able to perform activities of daily living independently, which often leads to a lowered quality of life.
Solution
Creation of a soft robotic hand mobility glove
The robot-assisted hand mobility glove is created for individuals suffering from hand motor disability. The glove will be created by improving the soft elastomeric robotic glove design by NUS. The goal is to form a highly wearable, durable and lightweight fabric robotic glove that is capable of providing assisted flexion of the fingers to increase grip strength, and assisted control of the individual fingers to achieve different hand postures such as power grip, pinch and tripod pinch.
Outcomes
The glove is able to empower patients to perform most daily activities such as combing, writing, feeding or drinking.
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Grantee
Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore (NUS) -
Beneficiaries
Persons with Disabilities
more about grantee
A/Prof Raye Yeow (NUS), the principal investigator, has over 10 years of experience in biomechanics research, mechanical design and soft wearable robotics, and has won several engineering innovation awards. His laboratory manages the design refinement-fabrication-evaluation, pilot and clinical testing of the soft fabric robotic glove. Besides A/P Raye, the team consists of Dr Lim J. H. (NUH), who has 15 years of experience with physical rehabilitation medicine, SPD and Racer Technology, an existing manufacturing partner.
