Index finger rehabilitation/assistive device

In this paper, a novel exoskeleton for the index finger is introduced. Such a device is intended to be used for the rehabilitation of post-stroke patients. The target of the design is to produce a device with low weight and reduced space occupation, so that it can be worn without interfering with everyday use of the hand. The actuation is provided using low-cost lightweight miniature DC motors, and position feedback is obtained trough potentiometers. A working prototype has been built and tested. A closed-loop position control with friction compensation has been implemented and experimental results are presented and discussed.