Design and Implementation of Assistive Robot Arm for the Hemiparetic Patients

Neurological conditions such as strokes, traumatic damage, and degenerative disease most frequently lead to dysfunction of the hand, which needs costly and time-consuming rehabilitation. The design in this paper is a portable gripper arm hand that will maximize the success rate of rehabilitation at the cost of lower economic burden on patients. The adaptive medical device to various hand dysfunction cases with four degrees of freedom enables complex rehabilitation exercises. A microcontroller-driven soft gripper glove assists hemiparesis patients who have suffered a stroke by encouraging synchronized hand motion. A 3/2-way solenoid valve controls air flow into a compressed air-driven pneumatic soft flex actuator to encourage smooth and accurate gripping and bending movement. A relay module also allows for speed and power control of movement in accordance with every patient's particular requirements in rehabilitation. Experimental results indicate that the device has significant effects on the strengthening, flexing, and coordination of the hand, demonstrating its efficacy in rehabilitation and in daily functioning. Its low cost, flexibility, and two-functionalities render it a valuable development in modern-day rehabilitation programs that offer patients superior recovery and living quality.