title: A haptic knob for rehabilitation of hand function.
abstract: This paper describes a novel two-degree-of-freedom robotic interface to train opening/closing of the hand and knob manipulation. The mechanical design, based on two parallelogram structures holding an exchangeable button, offers the possibility to adapt the interface to various hand sizes and finger orientations, as well as to right-handed or left-handed subjects. The interaction with the subject is measured by means of position encoders and four force sensors located close to the output measuring grasping and insertion forces. Various knobs can be mounted on the interface, including a cone mechanism to train a complete opening movement from a strongly contracted and closed hand to a large opened position. We describe the design based on measured biomechanics, the redundant safety mechanisms as well as the actuation and control architecture. Preliminary experiments show the performance of this interface and some of the possibilities it offers for the rehabilitation of hand function.
authors: Department of Mechanical Engineering, National University of Singapore, 119260, Singapore. olivier.lambercy@nus.edu.sg
authors: Olivier
authors: O
authors: Lambercy
authors: Ludovic
authors: L
authors: Dovat
authors: Roger
authors: R
authors: Gassert
authors: Etienne
authors: E
authors: Burdet
authors: Chee Leong
authors: CL
authors: Teo
authors: Theodore
authors: T
authors: Milner
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D006225:Hand; D018737:Hand Strength; D006801:Humans; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012371:Robotics / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D013813:Therapy, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D014110:Touch; D014159:Transducers