Evolutionary synthesis of mechanisms applied to the design of an exoskeleton for finger rehabilitation

摘要

To rehabilitate certain finger injuries, passive movement has proved to be positive. To help in this process, a physiotherapist's aid is necessary. In the last years, a series of exoskeletons have been presented that can move the finger in a controlled way, which can substitute the physiotherapist. However, these devices are not popular, mainly because of their high complexity and price. This work presents a simple, low-priced and easy-to-manufacture finger exoskeleton. These features make it possible to manufacture a customized device, so that it imitates each patient's natural finger movement accurately. In this paper, the whole process is explained, starting with the synthesis of the mechanism adapted to the patient's finger characteristics and finishing with the manufacturing of the exoskeleton with a 3D printer. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.