MIRAπ: A Robotic Mirror Therapy Device for Individuals with Hand Impairments

Mirror therapy is a widely recognized therapeutic method in rehabilitation, but its effectiveness is often limited by the patient's inability to move their weak hand during training. This paper introduces a robotic mirror therapy device designed for individuals with hand impairments, which integrates vibration feedback and VR games. Equipped with sensors and actuators, the device captures the movement of the healthy fingers and replicates it in the affected ones, ensuring identical movement trajectories for both hands. A screen mounted on top of the device covers the patient's hands during training while displaying the VR games. To evaluate the performance of the proposed system, the range of motion and delay time were measured. The developed device can support finger curling movements with the index, middle, ring, and pinkie fingers, achieving a range of motion of 170°. Additionally, it enables upward and downward movements of the thumb with a range of motion of 90°. The delay time of the device that shows how fast it responds to the movements of the healthy fingers and mirrors them to the affected fingers was assessed and measured at 118.6 ms. The proposed device shows potential for enhancing hand and finger rehabilitation and inducing the mirror therapy effect. By combining it with a VR interface, we expect increased benefits for patients through enhanced interaction and motivation, which are often challenging in conventional mirror therapy.