Systems and methods for robotic and exoskeleton hands are provided. An exoskeleton hand can include a flexible actuator having a cavity and a reinforcement band. The cavity can be filled with a fluid from a pressure source, forcing the actuator to deform, bend or extend. The fluid that fills the cavity as a driving force can be a gas or liquid, which can be recyclable or disposable.

A finger exoskeleton robot includes a support plate, at least one finger mechanism, and a temperature control system. Each of the finger mechanisms includes a plurality of finger sleeves and joint drivers. The sleeves of the finger mechanism are sequentially arranged at a distance and configured to be correspondingly worn on a plurality of knuckles of the user's fingers. Every two finger sleeves adjacent to each other of the finger mechanism are connected by one joint driver. The support plate and one of the finger sleeves closest to the support plate are connected by one joint driver. The joint driver is switched between a flat state and a curved state when the temperature of the joint drivers is higher than or lower than a phase change temperature value. A temperature control system is electrically connected to the respective joint drives and respectively controls the temperature of the joint drivers.

This disclosure includes manipulating apparatuses and related methods. Some manipulating apparatuses include an actuator having a semi-rigid first segment, a semi-rigid second segment, and one or more flexible cells disposed between the first segment and the second segment, where the actuator is configured to be coupled to a fluid source such that the fluid source can communicate fluid to vary internal pressures of the one or more cells, and where each cell is configured such that adjustments of an internal pressure of the cell causes angular displacement of the second segment relative to the first segment.

A Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) based rehabilitation system and method is described in which an auditory or visual stimulus is provided to a user instructing them to imagine performing a physical action with a body part such as a hand during a trial period. A BCI processes the electroencephalography (EEG) signals to perform feature extraction and then feature translation (classification) to determine if the user intended to perform the action. If the intension was detected the body part is incrementally moved to provide proprioceptive feedback to the user. The feedback process is repeated at a Feedback Update Interval (FUI) of 100 ms or less. Preferably a reaction time test is used to determine the optimal FUI for an individual where shorter FUIs used for shorter reaction times. In one embodiment, if the user has slow reaction times, the FUI is initially between 100 ms and 1000 ms and gradually decreased over a series of sessions until the FUI is less than 100 ms.

The present invention relates to an assistive glove for daily activities of stroke patient which comprises a main body, a first pulling member, a second pulling member, and plural circular strings. The main body comprises a thumb sleeve, at least one finger sleeve a palm portion connected to the thumb sleeve and the at least one finger sleeve by one side and a wrist portion connected to another side of the palm portion. The first pulling member and the second pulling member are disposed on the palm portion and having a first hook and at least one second hook corresponding to the thumb sleeve and the at least one finger sleeve. The plural circular strings are hung on the first hook and the at least one second hook and fixed to the thumb sleeve and the at least one finger sleeve respectively.

A tendon actuated hand enhancer (1) having a force anchoring device (2), comprising a rigid band (8), circumventing more than half of a circumference, but is bendable in the circumferential direction. At least one pulling point (6) for at least one artificial tendon (3) is provided at the force anchoring device (2). The force anchoring device (2) is provided at the tendon actuated hand enhancer (1) at a position corresponding to carpal and proximal portion of metacarpal bones of a user's hand when the hand enhancer (1) is in use, and a pulling means (4) for pulling the at least one artificial tendon (3) is connected to the hand enhancer (1).

Method when a user performs a work task, wherein the user wears and uses a wearable, actively controlled piece of force-assisting equipment (110) used to assist the user in the performing of the said work task, which force-assisting equipment (110) comprises a force-exerting means (112,113) for assisting the user in applying a particular force and/or for performing movements of a particular type, and a sensor means (115) for sensing a force applied by the user, wherein an assisting force exerted by said force-exerting means (112,113) is feedback-controlled based on an instantaneous measurement value from the sensor means (115). The invention is characterised in that the method comprises the steps of during the performance of said work task, measuring said measurement value using the sensor means (115) for use in said feedback control; and using the measurement value to automatically calculate an actual ergonomic risk or load value for the performed work task using the said force-assisting equipment (110). The invention also relates to a system and a computer software product.

Disclosed is a wearable robot for assisting a wrist, including: a plurality of flexible actuators; and a control unit configured to control any one of the plurality of flexible actuators to be contracted or relaxed according to a wrist movement of a wearer. Each of the plurality of flexible actuators includes: a driving part which is contractively deformed by a current or transfer heat applied from the control unit or is relaxed when the heat is lost, and a refrigerant circulating part which is implemented to surround the driving part and circulates a refrigerant so that the contractively deformed driving part is cooled under control of the control unit.

A finger glove liner (2) comprising at least one finger portion (1), for arrangement inside an outer finger glove, making up a grip strengthening finger glove (3) is provided. The finger glove liner (2) is made of a stretchable material (4) in order to suit more than one size of hands, wherein at least one patch (5) of material, which has attached thereto at least an artificial tendon (9), is arranged at the outside of the finger glove liner (2).

A kinematical chain (100) for assisting a spherical motion of an anatomical joint (200) of a finger of the hand (210) of a user, said anatomical joint (200) having centre of rotation P and being arranged for allowing a relative motion of a finger of the hand (210) with respect to a portion of hand (220) of the user, said finger of the hand (210) defining a longitudinal direction δ. The kinematical chain (100) comprises a first rotational joint (110) engaged to the finger of the hand (210) and to a first connection link (115), said first rotational joint (110) arranged to provide a relative rotation α between the first connection link (115) and the finger of the hand (210) about a rotation axis x coincident with the longitudinal direction δ. The kinematical chain (100) also comprises a third rotational joint (130) engaged to the portion of hand (220) and to a second connection link (125), said third rotational joint (130) arranged to provide a relative rotation γ between the second connection link (125) and the portion of hand (220) about a rotation axis z integral to the portion of hand (220). The kinematical chain (100) comprises then a second rotational joint (120) engaged to the first connection link (115) and to the second connection link (125), said second rotational joint (120) arranged to provide a relative rotation β between the first connection link (115) and the second connection link (125) about a rotation axis y. The rotation axes x, y and z intersect in a centre of rotation O, in such a way that the kinematical chain (100) allows a spherical motion of the longitudinal direction δ with respect to the portion of hand (220) about the centre of rotation P.