Towards the development of a voice-controlled exoskeleton system for restoring hand function

Abstract

Spinal cord injury (SCI) to the C-5 area causes loss of fine motor control in the hand and fingers. Stroke often causes hemiparesis, which impairs arm and hand function. Both afflictions render the individual unable to complete activities of daily living (ADL). In this work, an exotendon glove system is designed for repetitive task practice (RTP) to improve the efficacy of hand and finger function rehabilitation in spinal cord injury patients. Common ADL tasks are evaluated through correlation analysis to aid in the design of the exotendon glove. A novel slack-enabling mechanism is introduced and a smartphone app voice control interface is developed to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the exotendon glove. The range-of-motion (ROM) of the exotendon glove in individual finger movement and ADL tasks is experimentally identified, and the performance of the exotendon glove in ADL tasks is experimentally evaluated.