Persons with reduced hand strength and dexterity have difficulty completing activities of daily living. The project goal was to create an affordable hand orthosis for persons with reduced grip strength suitable for home use. The orthosis is wrist-activated and enables the user to form the cylindrical power grip and pincer precision grip. As the wrist flexes, pre-tensioned cables cause rigid finger channels to rotate and pull the fingers towards a fist. The device was manufactured mainly of plastic to keep weight (220g) and cost ($130) low. It provides a 13N grip force at a 45° wrist angle and the user can hold objects ranging in diameter from 7.5 to 45mm for the pincer grip and 30 to 80mm for the power grip. Testing indicates that the orthosis can assist users in performing daily tasks.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Kurtz, Connor L.
• Mulready, John Patrick
• Murphy, Steven Michael
• Tao, Tyler Elizabeth

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-032217-152256

Advisor

• Ault, Holly Keyes
• Hoffman, Allen H.

Year

• 2017

Date created

• 2017-03-22

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Mechanical Engineering

Rights statement

• In Copyright

Last modified

• 2021-01-29