A Smart Rehabilitation Glove Based on Shape-Memory Alloys for Stroke Recovery

Stroke-induced hand dysfunction substantially impairs patients’ quality of life, creating an urgent need for portable, adaptive rehabilitation devices. This study introduces a smart rehabilitation glove actuated by shape-memory alloy (SMA) wires, leveraging their high power-to-weight ratio, controllable strain recovery, and reversible phase transformation to overcome the limitations of conventional motor-driven or pneumatic gloves. The glove incorporates SMA-based actuation units achieving 50 mm contraction (5% strain) within 7 s, enabling finger flexion to ~34° for personalized rehabilitation protocols. A mobile application provides wireless regulation of SMA actuation modes and facilitates real-time telemedicine consultations. The prototype demonstrates an ultra-lightweight, compact design enabled by SMA’s intrinsic properties, offering a promising solution for home-based post-stroke rehabilitation. This work establishes the transformative potential of SMAs in wearable biomedical technologies.