ETH Rehabilitation Engineering Lab has made a major advancement in robot technologies, that will greatly improve life for stroke victims. There is a problem that the lab specifically set out to solve; 1 and 6 people will have a stroke in their lifetime and 2/3 of those victims will have paralysis in their arm. The lab has designed a new lightweight hand exoskeleton that will help the patients learn what force and fine motor skills are required to complete a certain task. One of the ways that this is accomplished is by leaving the palm side of the hand free and unblocked from the robotics. The finger is an elaborate design that allows for the user's mental directions to even control the pressure by the robotic exoskeleton. The design uses three leaf springs that overlap, while the middle spring is moved by a motor the micro reactions of the outside springs determine fine movement. This design allows the hand to adapt to different shaped surfaces. Scientist and engineers are currently working togeather to learn more about the severed or destroyed brain connections that allow arm movements. The main goal is to have the ability to map out the brain so that a patient may use the exoskeletons intuitively.
Link to article
No comments:
Post a Comment