Approximately 50 million people worldwide experience hand impairments as a result of stroke and spinal cord injuries. Individuals without bimanual hand function experience a loss of independence when completing daily activities, such as picking up a water bottle. In an effort to reinstate bimanual hand function within this population, wearable robotics are being developed. Although there has been significant advancement in current technology, present designs struggle to develop a solution that fully mimics the complex dexterity of the human hand without harming the user. Moreover, most solutions only provide the user with the ability to flex their fingers to grasp objects but do not assist in releasing. Although the assistance in grasping objects is beneficial for individuals with partial control of their hand, this design would not allow those with complete hand paralysis to pick-up and release objects. Implementation of a glove that allows for finger extension, grip assistance, and object release has the potential to reduce the physical and mental effort required to perform bimanual tasks while allowing the individual to perform daily living tasks. 

Group 3’s proposal for a solution to restore the ability to pick-up small objects in individuals experiencing hand paralysis as a result of stroke is a powered orthotic glove that utilizes small actuators to generate finger movements that replicate normal hand function. Our approach will include a voice recognition input component that allows the user to speak to open and close the glove, and then an output response will be produced by soft actuators integrated on the back of the glove controlled by an Adafruit feather bluefruit system.This design will fulfill the predetermined requirements needed for the powered orthotic glove, including that the glove portion will weigh less than 0.5 kilograms while the waist belt will weigh less than three kilograms. Additionally, the design will have multiple joint control such that each finger will have three bending degrees of freedom and the thumb will have two degrees of freedom. Furthermore, the design will allow an individual to grasp and pick up an object that weighs around 70 grams, such as an egg, and lift it up at least 6 inches of the surface. This design proposal will produce a glove that can be worn by individuals who suffer from hand paralysis to pick up everyday objects, allowing them to regain a sense of independence in their lives.