Tunable Stiffness Glove for Tremor Suppression Based on 3D Printed Structured Fabrics

Tremors, which are prevalent symptoms in both Parkinson’s disease (PD) and essential tremor (ET), substantially diminish the quality of life for those affected. Traditional treatments, including pharmaceutical medications and invasive surgical procedures, often come with limitations and side effects, prompting the need for alternative solutions. In this paper, the Tunable Stiffness Glove (TSG) is developed as a non-invasive exoskeleton to suppress wrist tremors. By employing chain mail fabrics with tunable stiffness, the TSG permits natural wrist movement when in a soft state, while transitioning to a jammed state upon the application of negative pressure, effectively suppressing tremors in two directions. Evaluation of the TSG’s efficacy was conducted through comprehensive three-point bending tests and human trials, utilizing commercial mechanical tester, inertial measurement unit (IMU), and electromyography (EMG) sensors. Weighing a mere 92 grams, the TSG demonstrated remarkable tremor suppression rates of 74.86%±5.52% (in the flexion-extension direction) and 66.80%±15.47% (in the adduction-abduction direction). Future enhancements aim to optimize the design for increased damping force and integrate sophisticated control strategies for improved user-exoskeleton interaction.