Fabrication of a Hand Rehabilitation Support Device Driven by Pneumatic Soft Actuators

This paper presented a fabrication of hand rehabilitation device driven by pneumatic actuators. In Japan, the aging population has caused an increase in patients with physical paralysis due to brain diseases or injuries. Proper rehabilitation is especially important for hands and fingers that are paralyzed. There have been various studies on devices for helping paralyzed hands, but many have issues with safety and wearability. We developed a new hand rehabilitation device using a rubber bellows actuator that driven by pneumatic. This structure is easy on the joints and doesn't strain them. The device is also made so it can separate between the fingertip and the palm, making it easier to use. It was confirmed that the prototype device could adjust the joint range of motion and force in response to changes in the supply pressure. And that it met the requirements for rehabilitation. It was also confirmed that the speed of finger movement could be adjusted by controlling the flow resistance. This prototype device can change the range of motion, strength, and movement speed needed for each rehabilitation stage.