Design of an assistive, glove-based exoskeleton

Chad G. Rose and Marcia K. O’Malley

Abstract— A soft robotic exoskeleton has been designed to
serve as an assistive device to increase quality of life and
independence, as well as a task-based robotic hand therapy
research testbed for the cervical level spinal cord injury (S CI)
population. The design of this glove incorporated user
feedback within an iterative, collaborative development
process. This compliant, glove-like exoskeleton is
underactuated, with fewer actuators than degrees of freedom
(DOF), and can accomplish seven poses which support most
activities of daily living (ADL). In addition to its role as an
assistive device, this glove has the potential to provide
individuals with impairment with “hands-in” rehabilitation
centered on performing functional tasks. Future
investigations of the role of the assistive glove in upper
extremity function and reaching will focus on the potential for
the device to increase the quantity and quality of use of the
unassisted upper extremity joints during tasks.
I. INT RODUCT ION
and spinal plasticity, and that exercise intensity has a
profound effect on sensory-motor recovery [4], [5]. However,
many studies focus on outcomes at the joint(s) targeted in a
rehabilitation intervention, and it is unclear if a distal assistive
device will encourage functional proximal recovery in a
similar manner. It is also unclear if the benefits of isolated
movements found in the proximal joints of the arm [6] will
translate to the hand, requiring the precise torque output and
position measurement of rigid exoskeletons. Potentially, the
hand should be trained in a functional, coordinated manner,
which would be better suited to soft wearable devices that can
be used during ADL.
II. M AT ERIAL AND M ETHODS
To this end, a soft exoskeleton glove has been designed to
serve as a robotic hand functional task-based therapy research
testbed for a broad SCI population. This soft glove-like

A pproximately half of all spinal cord injuries (SCI) are at

the cervical level [1]. Injuries at such a high level of the
spinal cord create severe arm and hand disabilities, resulting
exoskeleton is underactuated, and leverages a grasp taxonomy
originally proposed for prosthetic devices , shown in Fig. 1,
consisting of the poses that facilitate most ADL [7]. We
in an inability to complete Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). hypothesize that individuals with hand impairment can
Restoration of grasp and manual dexterity is the highest participate more actively in rehabilitation interventions and
priority for over half of the individuals with tetraplegia due to ADL if they are provided with effective hand assistance. This
SCI [2], with over three-fourths of individuals surveyed ‘hands-in’ approach can improve motor recovery outcomes
expecting an ‘important’ or ‘very important’ increase in by increasing dosage and cognitive engagement, as well as
quality of life (QOL) with improved hand function [2]. improving QOL of individuals by enabling independent ADL.
Despite the clear and critical need for restoration of hand
function following SCI, standard-of-care therapeutic
interventions have not been able to successfully restore grasp
and manual dexterity, which are critical to individuals with
tetraplegia seeking to regain independence in their daily lives.
To return function and independence, many individuals will
require an assistive device.
Most current robotic interventions for the hand utilize rigid
exoskeletons but due to the complexity of the human hand,
with its tightly packed joints and 23 degrees of freedom, fully Fig. 1. T he four degree of freedom (DOF) taxonomy proposed by Dalley
et al. [7] for a prosthetic hand. These seven poses enable approximately
actuated rigid devices have limitations in wearability , 85% of activities of daily living (ADL) and include the lateral pinch,
portability, and supporting functional task training or which user feedback identified as crucial in modified ADL.
assistance during ADL. Current hand rehabilitation systems
A. Related Works
either offer limited functionality in terms of movement, or
exhibit significant weight and bulk, limiting their wearability The design process leveraged the design of two wearable
as an assistive device, as detailed by Yun et al. [3]. glove-based exoskeletons for power augmentation, the
RoboGlove (RG) [8] and SpaceSuit RoboGlove (SSRG) [9].
The impact of an assistive device on motor recovery is an
These devices, built in the Wearable Robotics Lab at NASA
open question in the field. There is evidence that repetitive
Johnson Space Center (JSC), are intended for the high-force
and intensive practice can induce practice-dependent brain
needs of assembly line workers and astronauts .

T his work was supported by NST RF NNX13AM70H and Mission M.K. O’Malley leads the MAHI Lab and is a Professor in Mechanical
Connect, a project of the TIRR Foundation. Engineering at Rice University (omalleym@rice.edu).
C. G. Rose is in the Mechatronics and Haptic Interfaces (MAHI) Lab at
Rice University (cgr2@rice.edu)

978-1-5386-4377-8/17/$31.00 ©2017 IEEE

B. Design Process
The design process had two objectives: 1) leverage the
design of NASA’s healthy-user gloves and 2) integrate user
feedback into an iterative design process. The goals for
redesigning the actuators were to create simpler and lower
cost actuators leveraging the RG and SSRG designs. User
feedback was used to refine the various designs shown in Fig.
2., and investigated options for don/doff, and how to integrate
the Bowden cable termination into the palm. An
ergonomically curved bar was selected to replace the RG
rectangular block visible in the far left of Fig. 2..
Fig. 2. T his soft, glove-based exoskeleton was designed in an iterative
process, using feedback from the intended population to refine the
ergonomic considerations of the design and the don/doff mechanisms.
T he collaboration with the Wearable Robotics Lab at NASA Johnson
Space Center (JSC) was key in the softgoods and actuator design.
III. RESULT S
A. Final Design Overview
To simplify the actuators, parts were 3D printed to integrate
hard stops and indexing features, improving functionality in
non-extreme environments and reducing the total number of
parts. In addition, the new design does not require tools to
perform maintenance or repairs. Other cost reductions include
using braided Kevlar lines (Spear-It 1mm Constrictor) and
segmented bicycle conduit (JagWire), to replace expensive
spring steel and custom, proprietary tendon materials. The
glove is powered by seven brushless DC motors (Maxon EC-
16), coupled to a combination planetary gear and ball screw
and Bowden cable transmission, with separate flexion and
extension actuation. The secondary fingers (small, ring) are
coupled in softgoods, and are passively coupled to the middle
finger via a shared tendon. Index and thumb are actuated
individually, with the latter having three tendons, one for
flexion, one for opposition, and a third for a combination
extension/reposition. User intent can be detected via bend
sensors, EMG activity, or tape switches.
B. User Feedback
The preliminary design feedback from the intended
population consisted of two sessions with one participant, and
validated the actuation design and don/doff considerations
made in the design of the glove. The ergonomic and don/doff
considerations were particularly centered around using BOA
fasteners, seen in Fig. 2., to both close the glove, and interface
the ergonomically designed Bowden cable transmission
terminal design with the palm.
IV. DISCUSSION
The participant’s feedback of using the prototype glove
device stressed the importance of thumb opposition and
reposition as well as the utility of some rigidity in the glove
to aid in don/doff, both of which counter many other design
choices in wearable devices [4], underscoring the need for
personalization in wearable, assistive devices.
A. Future Work
If the prototype assistive device, shown in Fig. 2., is to
transition to the clinic, future work must include the
demonstration of safe and effective use with multiple
participants, iteration of the design to improve efficacy, and
investigation of the changes in upper extremity function due
to an assistive glove device. Beyond this, we are investigating
ways to incorporate psychological insights to improve
adoption rates and the potential for the device to increase the
quantity and quality of use of the unassisted upper extremit y
joints when performing tasks.
V. CONCLUSION
This novel glove exoskeleton has the potential to improve
QOL for many individuals with SCI and serve as a testbed for
ongoing research in upper extremity motor recovery. This
soft, glove-based exoskeleton supports seven pos es which
cover most of ADL. The development of the glove leveraged
collaborations with subject matter experts in engineering and
physical therapy, but also the end users, who have unique
insights not available anywhere else.
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