Combining soft robotics and telerehabilitation for improving motor function after stroke.

Telerehabilitation and robotics, either traditional rigid or soft, have been extensively studied and used to improve hand functionality after a stroke. However, a limited number of devices combined these two technologies to such a level of maturity that was possible to use them at the patients' home, unsupervised. Here we present a novel investigation that demonstrates the feasibility of a system that integrates a soft inflatable robotic glove, a cloud-connected software interface, and a telerehabilitation therapy.

Restoring arm function with a soft robotic wearable for individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Despite promising results in the rehabilitation field, it remains unclear whether upper limb robotic wearables, e.g., for people with physical impairments resulting from neurodegenerative disease, can be made portable and suitable for everyday use.

Improving Grasp Function After Spinal Cord Injury With a Soft Robotic Glove.

People with tetraplegia resulting from spinal cord injury experience debilitating hand impairments that may lead to lifelong dependence on others to perform activities of daily living. Wearable robotic devices that actively support hand function during daily living tasks could bring great benefits to this population. In this work, the performance of a textile-based soft robotic glove controlled by the user with a button was evaluated in thirteen participants with tetraplegia.