<p>  </p> <p>To regain a healthy degree of hand function, injured patients require strenuous rehabilitation therapies with the expectation of gaining the full range of motion and strength necessary for performing activities of daily living (ADLs). Metacarpal fractures are one of the most common musculoskeletal injuries and require occupational therapy after the immobilization phase. Obstacles, such as longer recovery times, high costs, or lack of trained physiotherapists, often present a barrier for individuals seeking adequate treatment. Repetitive extension and flexion therapy routines improve grasping functionalities when performed correctly and repetitively. Robotic devices, such as hand exoskeletons, have been found to make up for the lack of hand motor function and assist in grasping tasks performed in ADLs, improving users’ independence. To increase robot acceptability, wearable robots have been recently proposed as part of rehabilitation technologies. Hand rehabilitation systems are an active research interest; however, most studies focus on rehabilitating central nerve injuries. There is a lack of research on systems treating hand fracture injuries, explicitly focusing on function recovery involving the fingers. Integrating systems that provide the necessary dexterity in a user-friendly manner while keeping a compact and lightweight fashion remains challenging. This thesis describes the development of a Soft Hand Exoskeleton (SHE) for robotic hand rehabilitation. The system integrates a flexible glove-like body and a bio-inspired cable-driven transmission system for motion assistance. The exoskeleton’s usage effects were evaluated through a user study experiment. An electromyography (EMG) based analysis allowed us to assess the muscular effort demands of ADLs. Experimental results and evaluation metrics demonstrated a reduction in the total integrated muscular activity (TIMA) in the performance of common ADLs when wearing the SHE system. </p>

This document presents the development of a first proposal prototype of a rehabilitation exoskeleton hand. The idea was to create a lighter, less complex and cheaper exoskeleton than the existing models in the market but efficient enough to carry out rehabilitation therapies.The methodology implemented consists of an initial literature review followed by data collection resulting in a pre-design in two dimensions using two different software packages, MUMSA and WinmecC. First, MUMSA provides the parameters data of the movement of the hand to be done accurately. With these parameters, the mechanisms of each finger are designed using WinmecC. Once the errors were solved and the mechanism was achieved, the 3D model was designed.The final result is presented in two printed 3D models with different materials. The models perform a great accurate level on the motion replica of the fingers by using rotary servos. The properties of the model can change depending on the used material. ABS material gives a flexible prototype, and PLA material does not achieve it. The use of distinct methods to print has a high importance on the difficulties of development throughout the entire process of production. Despite found difficulties in the production, the model was printed successfully, obtaining a compact, strong, lightweight and eco-friendly with the environment prototype.

[pt] Os acidentes vasculares cerebrais (AVC) são um tipo de lesão cerebral que afeta mais de 750.000 pessoas anualmente. Aproximadamente metade dos pacientes com diagnóstico de AVC sofre dano crônico da função da extremidade superior. A reabilitação ajuda o paciente a manter as habilidades e recuperar algumas das perdidas. Uma órtese automatizada de mão é uma potencial ferramenta terapêutica para tratamento da debilidade da parte distal da extremidade superior, sendo uma abordagem promissora para melhorar os comportamentos motores perdidos em pacientes com AVC. Hoje em dia, a maioria dispositivos de assistência para o movimento de mão desenvolvidos são caros, pesados e volumosos, além de, muitas vezes, não oferecer controle sobre toda a sua operação. Este trabalho propõe e desenvolve um novo sistema de atuação que pode contribuir para a criação de um dispositivo de assistência a movimentação da mão, que seja fácil de operar, portátil, de baixo custo e totalmente controlado. O sistema é controlado por meio de um software com uma interface gráfica de usuário que permite que os usuários configurem os parâmetros do sistema de acordo com suas capacidades específicas. O software de controle também permite a comunicação com uma Interface Cérebro-Computador, que possibilita sincronizar os movimentos do sistema de acordo com as intenções do usuário, aumentando as taxas de recuperação dos pacientes. / [en] Strokes are a type of brain injury that affects over 750,000 people annually. Approximately half of the patients diagnosed with a stroke suffer chronic damage of the upper extremity function. Rehabilitation helps the patient to keep abilities and recover some of the lost ones, to become more independent. Hand rehabilitation exercises aim at assisting patients so they can regain finger mobility and strength. An actuated hand orthosis is a potential therapy tool for distal upper extremity weakness, since it can offer a promising approach to improve lost motor behaviors in stroke patients. Nowadays, hand movement assisting devices are developed for research applications, and even for commercial purposes. However, most of them are expensive, heavy and bulky or do not offer control over their whole operation. This work proposes and develops a new actuation system that can contribute to the construction of an easy to operate, portable, low cost and fully controlled hand movement assisting device. Several advances towards the creation of an actuated hand orthosis were achieved, leading to the creation of an electromechanical system capable of assisting finger movement along their full range of motion, while keeping low weight in the distal upper limb. The system is controlled by a computer software with a graphic user interface that allows the users to configure the system s parameters to their specific needs. The control software also allows the communication with a Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) in order to synchronize the system s movements with the user intentions, improving the recovery rates.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / With improvements in actuation technology and sensory systems, it is becoming increasingly feasible to create powered exoskeletal garments that can assist with the movement of human limbs. This class of robotics referred to as human-machine interfaces will one day be used for the rehabilitation of paralysed, damaged or weak upper and lower extremities. The focus of this project was the development of an exoskeletal interface for the rehabilitation of the hands. A novel sensor was designed for use in such a device. The sensor uses simple optical mechanisms centred on a spring to measure force and position simultaneously. In addition, the sensor introduces an elastic element between the actuator and its corresponding hand joint. This will allow series elastic actuation (SEA) to improve control and safely of the system. The Hand Rehabilitation Device requires multiple actuators. To stay within volume and weight constraints, it is therefore imperative to reduce the size, mass and efficiency of each actuator without losing power. A method was devised that allows small efficient actuating subunits to work together and produce a combined collective output. This work summation method was successfully implemented with Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) based actuators. The actuation, sensory, control system and human-machine interface concepts proposed were evaluated together using a single-joint electromechanical harness. This experimental setup was used with volunteer subjects to assess the potentials of a full-hand device to be used for therapy, assessment and function of the hand. The Rehabilitation Glove aims to bring significant new benefits for improving hand function, an important aspect of human independence. Furthermore, the developments in this project may one day be used for other parts of the body helping bring human-machine interface technology into the fields of rehabilitation and therapy.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / With improvements in actuation technology and sensory systems, it is becoming increasingly feasible to create powered exoskeletal garments that can assist with the movement of human limbs. This class of robotics referred to as human-machine interfaces will one day be used for the rehabilitation of paralysed, damaged or weak upper and lower extremities. The focus of this project was the development of an exoskeletal interface for the rehabilitation of the hands. A novel sensor was designed for use in such a device. The sensor uses simple optical mechanisms centred on a spring to measure force and position simultaneously. In addition, the sensor introduces an elastic element between the actuator and its corresponding hand joint. This will allow series elastic actuation (SEA) to improve control and safely of the system. The Hand Rehabilitation Device requires multiple actuators. To stay within volume and weight constraints, it is therefore imperative to reduce the size, mass and efficiency of each actuator without losing power. A method was devised that allows small efficient actuating subunits to work together and produce a combined collective output. This work summation method was successfully implemented with Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) based actuators. The actuation, sensory, control system and human-machine interface concepts proposed were evaluated together using a single-joint electromechanical harness. This experimental setup was used with volunteer subjects to assess the potentials of a full-hand device to be used for therapy, assessment and function of the hand. The Rehabilitation Glove aims to bring significant new benefits for improving hand function, an important aspect of human independence. Furthermore, the developments in this project may one day be used for other parts of the body helping bring human-machine interface technology into the fields of rehabilitation and therapy.