Design of a Pneumatically Actuated Wearable Glove for Stroke and Injury Rehabilitation

Hand rehabilitation is used to assist people who are recovering from a stroke or injuries to the hand. Repeated exercises will facilitate recovery of movements. This paper describes a low-cost pneumatic glove without sensors and designed for use in passive hand therapy. The system is comprised of soft, air-filled bellows along the fingers that cyclically inflate and deflate with the use of a small air pump. The Arduino Uno drives solenoid valves to control the flow of air and produces repeated opening and closing hand motions,i.e. simple therapy exercises. Unlike other rehabilitation devices which require expensive sensors and feedback control, the glove is low-cost while still having a simple design and able to allow proper joint movement and provide activation of muscles. Results from the tests that have been carried out show that the glove provides smooth and repeatable motion. Hence the glove is suitable for use in early-stage therapy. The lightweight, modular parts and portable structure of the glove make it comfortable to wear and easy to use in both clinics and therapy at home. The glove provides an affordable and scalable solution, especially in resource poor settings.