Flexo-glove: A 3D Printed Soft Exoskeleton Robotic Glove for Impaired Hand Rehabilitation and Assistance.

Abstract

This paper presents a compact and streamlined design of a soft exoskeleton glove for assistance in activities of daily livings and also rehabilitation purposes of patients with hand function impairment. Most of the existing hand exoskeletons have focused on either providing a customizable and modular design or making it portable to be used outside the hospital environment. We have developed a design of an exoskeleton glove that combines both of these features in one compact design. This was achieved by using a parameterised CAD design of glove, 3D printing of soft (i.e., compliant) materials, design a bidirectional cable driven spooling system and integrating them together in a modular fashi..