A robot for hand rehabilitation

Abstract

This thesis describes the design of a robot for hand rehabilitation and is based on earlier work done in the MIT Newman Lab for Biomechanics and Human Rehabilitation. The goal of the new robot described here is to provide rehabilitative therapy to the hand. MIT MANUS is an active therapy device previously designed and built in the Newman Lab. It has been used with success to improve strength and control of the upper extremity and promote recovery in stroke patients. However, research showed that only joints directly involved in robot therapy demonstrated greater improvement than the control group. This data was an impetus to design robotic therapy for other parts of the body. Another factor in the development of this robot was that there is a need for functional therapy. A robot which can provide active therapy using the functional tasks of the hand would be very novel. The robot design described in this thesis fulfills the requirements of such an idea. The robot will later be combined with controls software and video games to allow for active therapy of the hand. Included in this thesis is the background information on rehabilitative hand therapy, as well as on the anatomy and function of the hand, used for the design. Design options and choices are discussed. Finally the overall design and current status of the robot are presented.