Usability test of a hand exoskeleton for activities of daily living: an example of user-centered design

Almenara, Maria; Cempini, Marco; Gómez, Cristina; Cortese, Mario; Martin, C.; Medina, Josep R.; Vitiello, Nicola; Opisso, Eloy

doi:10.3109/17483107.2015.1079653

Cited by 45 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…This finding suggests that wearing an exoskeletal robot is inevitably time consuming and may require the help of others. The same problem that patients who manifested spasticity in fingers, hands and forearms had difficulty wearing hand exoskeletons by themselves also was observed in previous study (Almenara et al, 2017). It is one of the major problems in the design of rehabilitation exoskeleton robots and will be the major line of inquiry in future.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

Usability Assessment of a Cable-Driven Exoskeletal Robot for Hand Rehabilitation

Tsai

Huang

et al. 2019

Front. Neurorobot.

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Study design: Case series. Background: Robot-assisted rehabilitation mediated by exoskeletal devices is a popular topic of research. The biggest difficulty in the development of rehabilitation robots is the consideration of the clinical needs. This study investigated the usability of a novel cable-driven exoskeletal robot specifically designed for hand rehabilitation. Methods: The study consists of three steps, including prototype development, spasticity observation, and usability evaluation. First, we developed the prototype robot DexoHand to manipulate the patient's fingers based on the clinical needs and the cable-driven concept established in our previous work. Second, we applied DexoHand to patients with different levels of spasticity. Finally, we obtained the system usability scale (SUS) and assessed its usability. Results: Two healthy subjects were recruited in the pre-test, and 18 patients with stroke and four healthy subjects were recruited in the formal test for usability. The total SUS score obtained from the patients and healthy subjects was 94.77 ± 2.98 ( n = 22), indicating an excellent level of usability. The satisfaction score was 4.74 ± 0.29 ( n = 22), revealing high satisfaction with DexoHand . The tension profile measured by the cables showed the instantaneous force used to manipulate fingers among different muscle tone groups. Conclusions: DexoHand meets the clinical needs with excellent usability, satisfaction, and reliable tension force monitoring, yielding a feasible platform for robot-assisted hand rehabilitation.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

Usability Assessment of a Cable-Driven Exoskeletal Robot for Hand Rehabilitation

Tsai

Huang

et al. 2019

Front. Neurorobot.

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“…The objectives of this study were to explore users’ perceptions about existing wearable robotic devices for upper extremity, to identify if there was a need to design and develop new devices for upper extremity, and to describe different factors that might affect the design of new devices and thus the required features for these devices. Earlier studies have investigated user’s perception regarding specific robotic devices for upper extremity [ 34 ]; however, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to explore users’ perceptions regarding wearable robotic devices for the upper extremity generally, rather than being limited to a specific device. The study findings describe the perspectives of therapists and people with stroke who had previous experience with different upper extremity devices.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceptions of Existing Wearable Robotic Devices for Upper Extremity and Suggestions for Their Development: Findings From Therapists and People With Stroke

Elnady¹,

Mortenson²,

Menon³

2018

JMIR Rehabil Assist Technol

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BackgroundAdvances in wearable robotic technologies have increased the potential of these devices for rehabilitation and as assistive devices. However, the utilization of these devices is still limited and there are questions regarding how well these devices address users’ (therapists and patients) needs.ObjectiveThe aims of this study were to (1) describe users’ perceptions about existing wearable robotic devices for the upper extremity; (2) identify if there is a need to develop new devices for the upper extremity and the desired features; and (3) explore obstacles that would influence the utilization of these new devices.MethodsFocus groups were held to collect data. Data were analyzed thematically.ResultsA total of 16 participants took part in the focus group discussions. Our analysis identified three main themes: (1) “They exist, but...” described participants’ perceptions about existing devices for upper extremity; (2) “Indeed, we need more, can we have it all?” reflected participants’ desire to have new devices for the upper extremity and revealed heterogeneity among different participants; and (3) “Bumps on the road” identified challenges that the participants felt needed to be taken into consideration during the development of these devices.ConclusionsThis study resonates with previous research that has highlighted the importance of involving end users in the design process. The study suggests that having a single solution for stroke rehabilitation or assistance could be challenging or even impossible, and thus, engineers should clearly identify the targeted stroke population needs before the design of any device for the upper extremity.

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“…In several other studies, user involvement has been shown to improve usability and acceptability of new devices [ 53 , 54 ]. In addition, usability tests can also be beneficial in identifying problems with existing devices [ 55 ]. In our study, we observed similar benefits, as the orthotists and individuals with SCI transitioned from “users” to “designers.” The impact of human-centered design was also seen through the improvement of average scores for the 3D-printed WDO as a result of incorporating feedback received during user testing.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design of a 3D-printed, open-source wrist-driven orthosis for individuals with spinal cord injury

et al. 2018

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Assistive technology, such as wrist-driven orthoses (WDOs), can be used by individuals with spinal cord injury to improve hand function. A lack of innovation and challenges in obtaining WDOs have limited their use. These orthoses can be heavy and uncomfortable for users and also time-consuming for orthotists to fabricate. The goal of this research was to design a WDO with user (N = 3) and orthotist (N = 6) feedback to improve the accessibility, customizability, and function of WDOs by harnessing advancements in 3D-printing. The 3D-printed WDO reduced hands-on assembly time to approximately 1.5 hours and the material costs to $15 compared to current fabrication methods. Varying improvements in users' hand function were observed during functional tests, such as the Jebsen Taylor Hand Function Test. For example, one participant's ability on the small object task improved by 29 seconds with the WDO, while another participant took 25 seconds longer to complete this task with the WDO. Two users had a significant increase in grasp strength with the WDO (13–122% increase), while the other participant was able to perform a pinching grasp for the first time. The WDO designs are available open-source to increase accessibility and encourage future innovation.

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Usability test of a hand exoskeleton for activities of daily living: an example of user-centered design

Cited by 45 publications

References 19 publications

Usability Assessment of a Cable-Driven Exoskeletal Robot for Hand Rehabilitation

Usability Assessment of a Cable-Driven Exoskeletal Robot for Hand Rehabilitation

Perceptions of Existing Wearable Robotic Devices for Upper Extremity and Suggestions for Their Development: Findings From Therapists and People With Stroke

Design of a 3D-printed, open-source wrist-driven orthosis for individuals with spinal cord injury

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