Preliminary Results from Functional and Usability Assessment of the WiGlove - a Home-based Robotic Orthosis for Hand and Wrist Therapy after Stroke

Abstract

Robotic orthoses have emerged as a promising tool to provide an opportunity for supporting therapy at home for post-stroke hand and wrist rehabilitation. Despite their benefits, usability issues have hampered the acceptance of such devices. To overcome this, the WiGlove was designed following a user-centred approach that involved user evaluations to validate the prototype in an iterative process. This article presents the methodology and early findings of the WiGlove's first co-design iteration involving functional and usability evaluation by two-stroke survivors. The findings offer initial evidence for meeting the user requirements while identifying areas for improvement to enhance its usability and acceptance. Additionally, the article highlights the challenges encountered in conducting such long-term usability evaluations conducted at stroke survivors' homes.