Hand Rehabilitation and Telemonitoring through Smart Toys

We describe here a platform for autonomous hand rehabilitation and telemonitoring of young patients. A toy embedding the electronics required to sense fingers pressure in different grasping modalities is the core element of this platform. The system has been realized following the user-centered design methodology taking into account stakeholder needs from start: clinicians require reliable measurements and the ability to get a picture remotely on rehabilitation progression; children have asked to interact with a pleasant and comfortable object that is easy to use, safe, and rewarding. These requirements are not antithetic, and considering both since the design phase has allowed the realization of a platform reliable to clinicians and keen to be used by young children

Robotic Home-Based Rehabilitation Systems Design: From a Literature Review to a Conceptual Framework for Community-Based Remote Therapy During COVID-19 Pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the higher susceptibility of post-stroke patients to infection calls for extra safety precautions. Despite the imposed restrictions, early neurorehabilitation cannot be postponed due to its paramount importance for improving motor and functional recovery chances. Utilizing accessible state-of-the-art technologies, home-based rehabilitation devices are proposed as a sustainable solution in the current crisis. In this paper, a comprehensive review on developed home-based rehabilitation technologies of the last 10 years (2011–2020), categorizing them into upper and lower limb devices and considering both commercialized and state-of-the-art realms. Mechatronic, control, and software aspects of the system are discussed to provide a classified roadmap for home-based systems development. Subsequently, a conceptual framework on the development of smart and intelligent community-based home rehabilitation systems based on novel mechatronic technologies is proposed. In this framework, each rehabilitation device acts as an agent in the network, using the internet of things (IoT) technologies, which facilitates learning from the recorded data of the other agents, as well as the tele-supervision of the treatment by an expert. The presented design paradigm based on the above-mentioned leading technologies could lead to the development of promising home rehabilitation systems, which encourage stroke survivors to engage in under-supervised or unsupervised therapeutic activities

An Anthropomorphic Soft Exosuit for Hand Rehabilitation

Functional impairment of the hand, for example after a stroke, can be partially improved by intensive training. This is currently done by physiotherapy and the optimal intensity of hand rehabilitation programs is usually not reached due to a lack in human resources (high costs) and patients fatigue. In this work a cost-effective soft exosuit to support the hand’s grasping function is presented. The system is based on tendon-like wires and all fingers except the little finger are actuated. Each of the remaining four fingers is bidirectionally controlled by an electrical motor. This allows a variety of gripping situations, e.g. a power or precision grip. Our prototype weighs 435g, including the battery and can be worn on the upper arm. The force applicable for a power grip exceeds 20N with a maximum gripping frequency of 4Hz. Furthermore, a force control is implemented, giving the wearer the opportunity to grab sensitive objects. All components used are available in different sizes, allowing a quick and individual preparation per patient. Therefore, our prototype can be used for rehabilitation while doing activities of daily living (ADL) starting on the day of the injury