A Powerful Customized Fabric-Based Soft Robotic Glove for Assistance and Rehabilitation

• Published in: IEEE International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics Vol. 2025; pp. 669 - 674
• Main Authors: Chen, Rui, Leonardis, Daniele, Frisoli, Antonio, Chiaradia, Domenico
• Format: Conference Proceeding Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States IEEE 01.05.2025
• Subjects: Activities of Daily Living; Actuators; Adult; Equipment Design; exoskeleton; Fabrics; Female; Hand - physiology; hand assistance; Hand Strength - physiology; Hands; Humans; Male; pneumatic actuator; Robotics - instrumentation; Safety; Shape; soft robotic glove; Soft robotics; Stroke (medical condition); Stroke Rehabilitation - instrumentation; Testing; Textiles; Thumb; Torque
• ISSN: 1945-7901; 1945-7901
• DOI: 10.1109/ICORR66766.2025.11063169

Soft robotic gloves assist stroke patients in restoring hand function, and improve their ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs). This study introduces a powerful, customized, fabric-based soft robotic glove designed for assistance and rehabilitation. The pneumatic fabric actuators were customized to achieve a configuration that aligns with the natural curvature of the flexed fingers when inflated. This ergonomic design ensures that the actuators provide precise and efficient torque assistance to the finger joints. Experimental results demonstrate that the glove actuator produces a block tip force of 19.1 N at 100 kPa. Moreover, at 97 kPa, the 73 g glove can grip an object weighing 3126 g, highlighting its robust assistive capabilities. Finally, preliminary tests conducted with healthy subjects performing grasping tasks showed that the soft glove effectively supports users in their daily activities.