Development of a Reconfigurable Wrist Rehabilitation Device with an Adaptive Forearm Holder

Abstract

This paper presents the development of a new and reconfigurable wrist rehabilitation device(WReD). This device can be reconfigured for various hand orientation trainings, including wrist flexion/extension, radial/ulnar deviation, and a combined motion of them. The WReD employs a motor for actuation of a single degree of freedom (DOFs). Its sensing components consist of an angle sensor and a torque sensor. An adaptive forearm holder is also proposed to compensate potential misalignment between the human wrist and the rotation axis of the device. Preliminary tests were conducted with healthy subjects to evaluate the WReD design and potential as a clinical tool for wrist rehabilitation. Quantitative and qualitative results were obtained from each participant. Results show that the WReD is able to deliver therapy training of wrist flexion/extension, radial/ulnar deviation, or a combined motion of them, with positive feedback from all participants. This demonstrates the great potential of the WReD for wrist rehabilitation in multiple orientations.