Jumpei Arata, Ph.D. | Kyushu University; Nobutaka Mukae, Ph.D., M.D. | Kyushu University; Tetsuro Tanabe, B.A. | Megwel Co., Ltd. / Sanmatsu Co., Ltd.
Competition Sponsor: Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development
Awardee Year: 2020
170 million people suffer from aftereffects of stroke worldwide, causing motor impairments in upper limbs for 65% of the patients. The hand is one essential tool in our life, providing various utilities, thus the motor impairment in hand causes serious degradation of quality of life (QOL). The proposed device provides neurorehabilitation and task-oriented training by a soft, compact, lightweight and affordable wearable robot. It supports the hand motion triggered by the patient’s muscle signal, making the hand grasping/extending motion possible as if the healthy hand. During the rehabilitation with the device, the patient performs grasping tasks with objects by wearing it. This helps to rehabilitate the affected hand through re-learning the hand motion supported by the robotic device. The device will provide an effective robotic rehabilitation that improves the patients’ QOL, thus greatly contributing to Healthy longevity.
To learn more about this proposal email healthylongevity@nas.edu.