YS523: HYDRAULIC ASSISTED ROBOTIC HAND (HARH-1)

TAN XIN THUNG SMK GREEN ROAD

VIC24 | Young Scientist

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OBJECTIVE: To restore the function of one’s hand due to medical illness such as stroke, spinal cord injuries, or traumatic injuries, and to power the robotic hand with green technology. METHODOLOGY: The Hydraulic Assisted Robotic Hand (HARH-1) system was created with detailed anatomy of the human hand, Pascal’s principle in hydraulic pressure, and research on patients’ paralyzed hands. We then created a human-equivalent exoskeleton in which its movements are powered by hydraulic pressure. The powered exoskeleton is then attached to a glove to be worn by a paralyzed hand. Functional assessment was conducted on 10 patients. A scoring system of 0 to 10 was given independently by the medical specialists and physiotherapists after observing the functional ability of the paralyzed patient using HARH-1 and without using the HARH-1 robotic hand. RESULTS: HARH-1 restored 80-90% of the paralyzed hand to retain the ability to hold a spoon or cup resulting in 70% of the patient being able to eat and drink independently. 60% of HARH-1-assisted patients can open a door or brush their teeth. HARH-1 has significantly proven to improve the functional ability of the paralyzed hand compared to paralyzed hands without HARH-1 (p-value < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Hydraulic assisted robotic hand (HARH-1) is designed and proven to restore the functions of a paralyzed hand by improving the power and grip ability of the hand with hydraulic pressure.