CO-JUMP SOFTROBOTICS REABILITATION GLOVE

What it does

Our soft robotic glove, using 3D-printed bellows, is ergonomic, AI-integrated for rehab, and shares resources with clinics. It features EMG sensors for motion recognition, crucial for stroke patients' finger training, integrating rehab into daily life.

Your inspiration

Worldwide, over 28 million people have suffered strokes, with 60% facing hand dysfunction, integral to 80% of daily tasks. We stumbled upon soft robotics, crafting a pneumatic actuator with a human-like feel, warmer than machinery. This technology shows promise in rehab, offering a gentle touch. Existing soft rehab gloves are often bulky and uncomfortable, with designs lacking personalized, adjustable solutions. Our goal is to innovate a new, ergonomic glove that addresses these issues, enhancing the critical role of hand rehabilitation.

How it works

Our rehabilitation glove integrates soft robotics technology with a custom 3D-printed passive bellows actuator (PBA), motor, tendon wires, and EMG sensors. The PBA is tailored to the patient's finger size, 3D-printed in TPE/TPU, and configured via a hand scan on our mini-program. The PBA contracts, storing energy when the motor drives, extending the fingers; upon release, it elongates and passively bends them, akin to a spring. This passive motion mimics the natural grasping ability without relying on sensory feedback and reduces the risk of injury from excessive force. The PBA’s compliance ensures the glove's length adjusts with finger movement, and finger bending speed and angles are motor-controlled with EMG sensors signals to assist the movement. The glove has four functions: muscle strength training with customizable parameters, daily training supporting a range of movements, game-based rehabilitation, and health data tracking that connect with clinics.

Design process

During hospital visits in Guangzhou and Hangzhou, we identified specific needs of neurological patients. Standard rehab gloves, often bulky and heavy with air pumps, are impractical and can be harmful due to active gripping. There's a significant gap in personalized rehab plans due to poor patient-doctor communication. Moreover, pneumatic gloves fall short in finger-spreading training. We introduced a passive bellows actuator (PBA), central to our design and detailed in an SCI paper. This PBA allows natural finger movement, mimicking human flex and extension for effective rehabilitation. Mechanical tests confirmed the PBA's ability to simulate finger motion and improve grip strength, vital for therapy and daily activities. An ESP32-based system with a mini-program adjusts motor angles to control finger movement. The ergonomic glove, made of soft, breathable material, fits comfortably for a wide range of motion. Through prototyping and testing, we refined the design, addressing tendon slippage with aluminum locks and reinforcing the control box with ABS material for durability. Feedback from medical experts post-optimization will guide future improvements, ensuring our rehabilitation tools are practical and effective.

How it is different

Introducing the first 3D-printed passive bellows actuator and innovative EMG-equipped home rehab glove. More comfortable and safe: Harnessing the expansion and contraction capabilities of passive bellows actuators assists joint flexion and extension, conforms to finger skin changes, and prevents secondary injuries and discomfort from excessive forces. Real-time feedback channel: Offline clinics integrate with online training for immediate physician insights and training adjustments. Ultra-portable: Weighs under 600g, significantly lighter than existing 2-3KG products, with a fully wearable design. Customizable and cost-effective: 3D-printed actuators allow user-specific sizing and low production costs. Effective for spasm patients: The passive elasticity of the actuators enhances finger extension training. Intelligent design: The glove senses electromyographic signals to predict movements, aiding in tasks without a remote, achieving 'hand-brain connection'.

Future plans

We aim to produce 50 units for community and private rehab trials in 8-9 months, partnering with medical platforms for user feedback. Right now we're working with top hospitals for clinical hand rehab improvements and plan to seek class II medical device certification for our second-generation product. Product updates include: 1. Advancing EMG sensors for precise muscle signal data, creating a database for optimized training. 2. Enhancing our mini-program with game-based rehab and a custom finger sizing feature. 3. Adding unique thumb opposition training to meet clinical needs.

Awards

SCI ，a patent for an invention