Student Work

Design of a Powered Hand Orthosis

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The goal of this project was to design and manufacture a fully functional powered hand orthosis, controlled and operated by the contralateral hand, and used by people with diminished hand functions. Linear actuators were used to create the movement of the fingers through a six-bar linkage. The design reduces the twenty seven degrees of freedom in a healthy human hand to six and replicates the motions needed to perform the most common grips including the cylindrical, pinch, and key grips. Results showed that a single finger could exert a force of 50N. This correlates to an approximate hand strength of 200N, which was felt to be sufficient for most ADL’s. Overall, this orthotic device increases the hand’s strength and functionality for the user and increases their quality of life.

  • 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
Publisher
Identifier
  • E-project-042513-135953
Advisor
Year
  • 2013
Date created
  • 2013-04-25
Resource type
Major
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Last modified
  • 2021-01-29

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Permanent link to this page: https://digital.wpi.edu/show/dv13zv97r