Medical Devices: Evidence and Research (Jun 2024)
Design and Driving Performance Study of Soft Actuators for Hand Rehabilitation Training
Abstract
Zhilin Zhang,1– 4 Aldrin D Calderon,2 Xingyu Huang,5 Guixian Wu,6 Chuanjian Liang1,3,4 1School of Physics and Telecommunications Engineering, Yulin Normal University, Yulin, People’s Republic of China; 2School of Mechanical, Manufacturing and Energy Engineering, Mapua University, Manila, Philippines; 3Center for Applied Mathematics of Guangxi, Yulin Normal University, Yulin, People’s Republic of China; 4Guangxi Universities Key Laboratory of Complex System Optimization and Big Data Processing, Yulin Normal University, Yulin, People’s Republic of China; 5School of Information Technology, Mapua University, Manila, Philippines; 6Yulin Health School of Guangxi Medical University, Yulin, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Chuanjian Liang, Email [email protected]: To address the application requirements of soft actuators in rehabilitation training gloves, and in combination with ergonomic requirements, we designed a segmented soft actuator with bending and elongation modules. This actuator can achieve independent or coupled movements of the finger joints.Methods: A finite element model of the joint actuator was established to compare the driving performance of actuators with different structural forms. Numerical calculations were used to analyze the effects of structural size parameters on the bending characteristics and end output force of the actuator. The design was then refined based on these analyses.Results: The joint actuator designed in this study demonstrated a 71% increase in bending angle compared to the standard fast pneumatic network structure. Key factors affecting the driving performance include the thickness of the constraint layer, the inner wall thickness of the chamber, chamber height, chamber width, chamber spacing, chamber length, and the number of chambers. After improvements, the bending angle of the joint actuator increased by 60.6%, and the output force increased by 145.9%, indicating significant improvement.Conclusion: This study designed and improved a soft actuator for hand rehabilitation training, achieving independent and coupled joint movements. The bending angle, bending shape, and joint driving force of the soft actuator meet the requirements for finger rehabilitation training.Keywords: rehabilitation training, soft actuators, fast pneumatic networks, structural optimization, finite element method
