Novel approaches in hand rehabilitation

Abstract

Hand rehabilitation is a constructive activity to gradually restore health and functionality of hand and fingers. Motion disabilities of hand and fingers are a common problem and can be a result of a wide variety of diseases and traumas. This problem is especially emphasized in the elderly population. Common methods in hand rehabilitation include physical therapy that should be performed frequently. However, patients tend not to follow the program strictly and perform exercises the wrong way, making progress slower or even stagnant. With the development of novel contactless and noninvasive sensors for tracking hand and finger motion the hand rehabilitation can be further upgraded. In this paper we looked into existing hand rehabilitation systems and presented a concept of a novel system by empowering capabilities of new sensors with virtual reality (VR) environment. The existing hand rehabilitation exercises were analysed, adapted and verified in order to be implemented into the system.