Interactive Exoskeleton Hand Controlled by Tongue Movements for Spinal Cord Injury Patients

Abstract

The effect that quadriplegia has extends further than just the affected individual, where the primary caretakers and healthcare professionals may need to supervise and assist those with a severe spinal cord injury. Assistive technology has developed to the point where quadriplegics may regain a sense of autonomy with the proposed system of a hand exoskeleton able to be controlled with the user’s own intent via tongue control. The exoskeleton system offers a comfortable, lightweight, and cost-effective alternative to exoskeleton assistive technologies that are either too expensive for the average consumer or not practical for everyday use. Three distinguishable tests were performed for the hand exoskeleton to examine its capabilities compared to an older hand exoskeleton prototype. Upon conclusion of these tests, it was discovered that the newer prototype of the hand exoskeleton outperformed the original design in the range of motion test, grasping force test, and object grasping test.