User Testing for Performance and Brain Engagement With the Hope Hand Exoskeleton for Individuals With Spasticity Due to Brain Injury.

Hand spasticity and hypertonia are common in individuals who have sustained an upper motor neuron (UMN) injuries due to stroke and traumatic brain injury. While rehabilitation robots and hand exoskeleton-based therapy treatments have shown great promise of improving motor function, the frequency of use and the nature of the repetitive therapeutic tasks can limit the promotion of neuroplasticity. The use of an assistive hand exoskeleton, meant to help the user perform activities of daily living (ADL), leverages the principals of neuroplasticity regarding increased frequency of use and increased specificity in doing functional tasks, to further improve neuroplasticity.

A sEMG Proportional Control for the Gripper of Patient Side Manipulator in da Vinci Surgical System.

There is a large community of people with hand disabilities, and these disabilities can be a barrier to those looking to retain or pursue surgical careers. With the development of surgical robotics technologies, it may be possible to develop user interfaces to accommodate these individuals. This paper proposes a hand-free control method for the gripper of a patient side manipulator (PSM) in the da Vinci surgical system.

Individuals with moderate to severe hand impairments may struggle to use EMG control for assistive devices.

Neurological trauma, such as stroke, traumatic brain injury (TBI), spinal cord injury, and cerebral palsy can cause mild to severe upper limb impairments. Hand impairment makes it difficult for individuals to complete activities of daily living, especially bimanual tasks. A robotic hand orthosis or hand exoskeleton can be used to restore partial function of an intact but impaired hand.