Purpose

Currently, rehabilitation medical care is expensive, requires a large number of rehabilitation therapist and which can only limit in the fixed location. In addition, there is a lack of research on the structure optimization and theoretical analysis of soft actuators for hand rehabilitation. In view of the problems above, this paper aims to propose a cheap, portable, wearable soft multiple joints rehabilitation glove.

Design/methodology/approach

First, this paper determined the hyperelastic constitutive model by material tensile test. Second, the soft actuator’s internal longitudinal section shape was optimized through the comparison of three diverse chamber structures. Meanwhile, the motion model of the soft actuator is established by the finite element model analysis method. Then, this paper established the constitutive model of the soft actuator according to the torque equilibrium equation and analyzed the relationship between the soft actuator’s bending angle and the input air pressure. This paper has verified that the theoretical model is correct through the soft actuator bending test. Finally, rehabilitation gloves were manufactured according to the model and the rehabilitation performance and grasping ability of gloves were verified through experiments.

Findings

The optimization results show that the internal semicircular cavity has better performance. Then, the actuator performance is better after adding the external arc structure and optimizing the physical dimension. The experimental results show that the trajectory of the actuator conforms to the mathematical model and rehabilitation gloves can meet the needs of rehabilitation treatment.

Practical implications

Rehabilitation gloves made of actuators can help patients with hand dysfunction in daily rehabilitation training. Then, it can also assist patients with some fine and complicated hand movements.

Originality/value

This paper proposes a new type of soft rehabilitation glove, which is composed of new soft actuators and adapting pieces. The new actuator is small enough to be fitted to the knuckle of the glove to move each joint of the finger.

中文翻译：

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多关节软康复手套执行器的设计与优化

目的

目前，康复医疗费用昂贵，需要大量的康复治疗师，而且只能局限在固定的地点。此外，手部康复软执行器的结构优化和理论分析也缺乏研究。针对以上问题，本文旨在提出一种廉价、便携、可穿戴的柔软多关节康复手套。

设计/方法/方法

首先，本文通过材料拉伸试验确定了超弹性本构模型。其次，通过比较三种不同的腔室结构，优化了软执行器的内部纵向截面形状。同时，通过有限元模型分析方法建立了软执行器的运动模型。然后，本文根据扭矩平衡方程建立了软执行器的本构模型，并分析了软执行器的弯曲角度与输入气压之间的关系。本文通过软执行器弯曲试验验证了理论模型的正确性。最后根据模型制作康复手套，通过实验验证手套的康复性能和抓握能力。

发现

优化结果表明，内部半圆腔具有更好的性能。那么，在增加外弧结构和优化物理尺寸后，执行器性能更好。实验结果表明，执行器的运动轨迹符合数学模型，康复手套能够满足康复治疗的需要。

实际影响

由执行器制成的康复手套可以帮助手部功能障碍患者进行日常康复训练。然后，它还可以帮助患者进行一些精细复杂的手部运动。

原创性/价值

本文提出了一种新型的软性康复手套，它由新型软致动器和适配件组成。新的致动器足够小，可以安装在手套的指关节上以移动手指的每个关节。