Development of a Therapeutic Hybrid Exoskeleton Glove for Enhanced Post-Stroke Hand Rehabilitation

Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability worldwide, significantly affecting survivors’ quality of life. Among its consequences, hand impairments are particularly debilitating, limiting daily activities like eating and dressing, and often requiring extensive rehabilitation. Current therapy options are costly, resource-intensive, and inaccessible for many, especially in underserved regions like Vietnam, where stroke incidence remains high. This project addresses these challenges by developing an affordable, wearable exoskeleton glove that delivers customizable, controlled hand movements and supports targeted rehabilitation exercises such as grasping, pinching, and flexion/extension, enabling stroke survivors to regain hand strength and mobility.
The hybrid exoskeleton glove integrates tendon-driven mechanisms with hydraulic soft muscles, providing precise, customizable support for critical motions like grasping and flexion/extension. Its modular design, constructed from cost-effective materials, ensures affordability and easy maintenance, making it suitable for low-resource settings. The device reduces the need for frequent clinic visits by allowing home-based therapy, lowering healthcare costs, and improving accessibility for underserved populations. These features address the urgent need for personalized rehabilitation tools, aligning with global healthcare priorities such as precision medicine and therapeutics.
The project’s societal impact spans cultural, economic, and industrial dimensions. It empowers patients to actively participate in their recovery, reduces caregiver burdens, and fosters greater awareness of hand-focused rehabilitation. Economically, the glove reduces long-term healthcare costs, opens new markets for affordable medical devices, and creates job opportunities in manufacturing and healthcare support. Industrially, it advances soft robotics and demonstrates how high-performance medical devices can be both effective and affordable. By addressing critical gaps in stroke rehabilitation, the project promises transformative outcomes for patients, caregivers, and healthcare systems.

– Timeline: June 2025 – June 2028