HANDEXOS: Towards an exoskeleton device for the rehabilitation of the hand

Abstract

This paper introduces a novel exoskeleton device (HANDEXOS) for the rehabilitation of the hand for post-stroke patients. The nature of the impaired hand can be summarized in a limited extension, abduction and adduction leaving the fingers in a flexed position, so the exoskeleton goal is to train a safe extension motion from the typical closed position of the impaired hand. The mechanical design of HANDEXOS offers the possibility to overcome the exoskeleton limits often related to the general high level of complexity of the structure, mechanism and actuation. We describe the mechanical design of the index finger module, the dynamic model and some preliminary experimental results.