A South Korean company, Neofect, created an exoskeleton hand and gaming system designed to help the rehabilitation of stroke victims who need to learn how to reuse their hands.

According to the World health Organisation 15 million people suffer from a stroke worldwide and of these, 5 million die and 5 million are permanently disabled. The same study revealed that over the next 20 years the mortality rate for stroke victims will triple in Latin America, the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa.

The RAPAEL Smart Glove is a Bluetooth device that connects to the RAPAEL App to play a variety of rehabilitation games in a virtual reality-type setting. It is packed with sensors to measure finger and wrist movements which allows the patient and the physical therapist to see the progress of their patient from the data uploaded from their practice. The game is updated based on the patient’s activity level and creates new tasks and exercise based on their progress.

With the glove, users can choose games which correspond to the type of hand and arm movements they would like to improve. The aim of this gaming system is to keep patients engaged and keep them motivated in the repetitive rehabilitation exercises. The lightweight device will be beneficial for people who may not have access to hospital care.

References

• CNET. (https://www.cnet.com/reviews/rapael-smart-glove-preview/). January 4, 2017. Patrick Holland. Rapael Smart Glove is not the NES Power Glove, it’s better.
• Forbes. (https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenniferhicks/2015/11/08/this-smart-glove-speeds-rehabilitation-of-stroke-patients/#569bc67966b0). November 8, 2015. Jennifer Kite-Powell. This Smart Glove Speeds Rehabilitation Of Stroke Patients.
• The Internet Stroke Center. (http://www.strokecenter.org/patients/about-stroke/stroke-statistics/). Stroke Statistics.