A User-centred Design and Feasibility Analysis of the WiGlove - A Home-based Rehabilitation Device for Hand and Wrist Therapy after Stroke

Abstract

Abstract—Stroke survivors often experience deficits in their hand’s motor function, which can greatly impact their ability to perform Activities of Daily Life (ADL). Home-based rehabilitation with robotic devices has been shown to improve the recovery of hand functions. The WiGlove is a home-based robotic orthosis that has been developed using a user-centred approach to offset the hyperflexion in the hand and wrist of hemiparetic stroke survivors. It facilitates training the distal joints of the upper limb at home while performing ADL or playing therapeutic games on a tablet. In a formative evaluation, stroke therapists positively rated the WiGlove’s usability and provided feedback which assisted in improving its design. Additionally, the preliminary results of a feasibility analysis at a stroke survivor’s home showed evidence of the WiGlove’s usability and acceptance with a noticeable impact on reducing the tone in the impaired hand.