Soft robotic gloves have attracted significant interest in hand rehabilitation in the past decade. However, current solutions are still heavy and lack finger-state monitoring and versatile treatment options. To address this, we present a lightweight soft robotic glove actuated by twisted string actuators (TSA) that provides whole-hand finger motion tracking. We have developed a virtual reality environment for hand rehabilitation training, allowing users to interact with various virtual objects. Fifteen small inertial measurement units are placed on the glove to predict finger joint angles and track whole-hand finger motion. We performed TSA experiments to identify design and control rules, by understanding how their response varies with input load and voltages. Grasping experiments were conducted to determine the grasping force and range of motion. Finally, we showcase an application of the rehabilitation glove in a Unity-based VR interface, which can actuate the operator’s fingers to grasp different virtual objects.

Lightweight Soft Robotic Glove with Whole-Hand Finger Motion Tracking for Hand Rehabilitation in Virtual Reality

Soft actuators and robotic devices designed for rehabilitation and assistance are a rapidly growing field of research. Their inherent flexibility enhances comfort and usability without restricting the user's natural range of motion. However, despite these advantages, there are still several challenges that need to be addressed before these systems can be commercialized. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the latest developments in soft wearable robots, also known as exosuits. Soft exosuits are composed of two main components: actuation mechanisms (how forces/torques are generated) and physical interfaces (how and where the robot is anchored to the body). This paper reviews the advances in these two areas, while categorizing exosuits based on the intended assisted joint, assisted degrees of freedom (DOF), and device type. The systematic literature review follows the PRISMA guidelines to summarize the relevant studies and investigate their related physical interface, actuation mechanism and its design. Several limitations were identified in these areas, and insights into potential future research directions are presented. In the future, the goal should be to develop an untethered assistive device that can provide assistance to multiple joints while having a low form factor, an intuitive and natural interface, and being comfortable for the user. 

Advancements in Soft Wearable Robots: A Systematic Review of Actuation Mechanisms and Physical Interfaces

The advent of variable stiffness soft robotic grippers furnishes a conduit for exploration and manipulation within uncharted, non-structured environments. The paper provides a comprehensive review of the necessary technologies for the configuration design of soft robotic grippers with variable stiffness, serving as a reference for innovative gripper design. The design of variable stiffness soft robotic grippers typically encompasses the design of soft robotic grippers and variable stiffness modules.To adapt to unfamiliar environments and grasp unknown objects, a categorization and discussion have been undertaken based on the contact and motion manifestations between the gripper and the things across various dimensions: points contact (PC), lines contact (LC), surfaces contact (SC), and full-bodies contact (FBC), elucidating the advantages and characteristics of each gripping type. Furthermore, when designing soft robotic grippers, we must consider the effectiveness of object grasping methods but also the applicability of the actuation in the target environment. The actuation is the propelling force behind the gripping motion, holding utmost significance in shaping the structure of the gripper. Given the challenge of matching the actuation of robotic grippers with the target scenario, we reviewed the actuation of soft robotic grippers. We analyzed the strengths and limitations of various soft actuation, providing insights into the actuation design for soft robotic grippers. As a crucial technique for variable stiffness soft robotic grippers, variable stiffness technology can effectively address issues such as poor load-bearing capacity and instability caused by the softness of materials. Through a retrospective analysis of variable stiffness theory, we comprehensively introduce the development of variable stiffness theory in soft robotic grippers and showcase the application of variable stiffness grasping technology through specific case studies. Finally, we discuss the future prospects of variable stiffness grasping robots from several perspectives of applications and technologies.

Variable stiffness soft robotic gripper: design, development, and prospects.

Untethered soft robots (USRs) based on single‐actuation methods face inherent limitations due to restricted energy resources, which adversely affect their performance. Pneumatic‐tendon‐coupled actuators (PTCAs) offer an effective approach for USRs by combining the compliance and variable stiffness of pneumatic actuation with the precision and rapid motion control of tendon‐driven actuation. However, current PTCA‐based USRs are limited in versatility and efficiency when executing complex tasks. This research introduces discrete pneumatic‐tendon‐coupled actuators with interconnected air circuit (DPTCAs‐IAC) to address these limitations through two major design approaches: 1) multiple discrete DPTCAs with integrated micro pump, providing additional degrees of freedom and independent motion control while regulating internal pressure without significantly adding weight; and 2) interconnecting multiple DPTCAs through air circuits to facilitate gas flow and enhance efficiency. Theoretical modeling and experimental tests conducted on single DPTCA and DPTCAs‐IAC show that the IAC effectively reduces actuation torque and that opposite‐direction movements consume less energy compared to same‐direction movements. An untethered soft robotic gripper and an untethered quadruped robot with soft legs based on DPTCAs‐IAC are developed. Both demonstrate excellent controllability, compact system integration, and multifunctionality, highlighting the potential of DPTCAs‐IAC in advancing the development of complex untethered soft robots. 

Discrete Pneumatic‐Tendon‐Coupled Actuators with Interconnected Air Circuit for Untethered Soft Robots

Exoskeletons possess a high potential for assisting the human workforce while eliminating or reducing the risk of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs). However, their usage in agricultural work, where there is a plethora of reported WMSD cases, seems limited. Since agricultural tasks are complex and performed in harsh environments, developing novel exoskeleton-based solutions could be challenging. However, commercial exoskeletons are already being used in various other industries, such as logistics, military, medicine, and manufacturing. Thus, it is expected that those existing exoskeleton solutions could be applied to agricultural tasks. Nevertheless, prior to implementation, assessing the feasibility, efficacy, and necessary modifications for these exoskeletons is imperative to supporting agricultural activities prone to WMSDs. In this review, prevalent exoskeletons documented in scientific literature are identified, and their potential relevance to agricultural tasks with elevated WMSD risks is evaluated. The review further highlights and deliberates on exoskeletons that could be applicable in an agricultural context. This comprehensive examination serves as a foundational step towards the conceptualization and development of exoskeleton-based approaches tailored explicitly for agricultural tasks. 

A Review of Potential Exoskeletons for the Prevention of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders in Agriculture

Advances in 3D and 4D Printing of Soft Robotics and Their Applications

The compliance of conventional granular jamming universal grippers is limited due to the increasing friction among particles when enveloping an object. This property limits the applications of such grippers. In this paper, we propose a fluidic-based approach for universal gripper which has a much higher compliance compared to conventional granular jamming universal grippers. The fluid is made of micro-particles suspended in liquid. Jamming transition of the dense granular suspension fluid from a fluid (hydrodynamic interactions) to solid-like state (frictional contacts) in the gripper is achieved by external pressure from the inflation of an airbag. The basic jamming mechanism and theoretical analysis of the proposed fluid is investigated, and a prototype universal gripper based on the fluid is developed. The proposed universal gripper exhibits advantageous compliance and grasping robustness in sample grasping of delicate objects, such as plants and sponge objects, where the traditional granular jamming universal gripper fails.

/pdf/investigation-of-fluidic-universal-gripper-for-delicate-krnkguug.pdf

Investigation of Fluidic Universal Gripper for Delicate Object Manipulation

Layflat tube (LFT) is a soft tube that is pressed flat for easy winding onto a spool and continuous use. When inflating an LFT, the width of the FLT will contract, and the flat side of the FLT will expand. Based on this feature, a layflat tube-based pneumatic bending actuator (LFTPBA) is proposed and used for finger actuation in soft robotic glove design. Five LFTPBAs are mounted on a fabric glove to assist finger flexion. To eliminate noise and vibration of a normal pump system, a bellow actuation method is proposed. The finger flexion angle and bending speed can be controlled by motors directly. A mathematical model is developed to investigate the relationship between the LFTPBA flexion angle and bellow compression displacement. Besides, a finite element analysis of the LFTPBA bending trajectory versus pressure increase is also conducted. Compared with a fabric-based pneumatic bending actuator, the proposed system can generate 57% more blocked tip force (from 9 N to 14.13 N). A prototype assistive glove has been developed to demonstrate various grasping operations via a hand model. 

A Pumpless Layflat Tube-Based Pneumatic Bending Actuator for Soft Assistive Glove


 Pneumatic soft actuators have been widely considered the safest actuation technology for use in wearable rehabilitation robots. For soft robotic gloves, researchers commonly put soft extending or bending actuators on dorsal fingers to assist hand flexion. In this research, we propose a novel pre-folded flat tube actuator (PFTA) to assist finger flex into a pre-set bending angle or contact force. The PFTA has three folds, aligned with each of the finger joint. Different from other soft actuators, the PFTA exerts bending torque directly on each finger joint without large actuator deformation. The PFTA made of heat shrink flat tube has a small profile, with low cost, easy fabrication, and high safety. When actuated, the PFTA has the tendency to unfold as well, we call this effect as unfolding flat tube actuation (UFTA). This effect is characterized by a range of bending angles and input air pressures in which four distinct response regimes were observed. They are defined as shearing, collapsing, creasing, and flattening regimes. Similarly, experimental characterization of PFTAs is also conducted to evaluate the level of joint flexion assistance based on which design guidelines for robotic gloves are recommended. Finally, we build PFTAs on a soft wearable glove and demonstrate their capability in assisting the grasping operations of various object shapes.

Finger joint aligned flat tube folding structure for robotic glove design

Previous research on wearable robotics focused on developing actuation mechanisms while overlooking influences of skin movement. During finger flexion, skins on the opisthenar and finger back are stretched. Impeding such skin movement will obstruct normal finger motions. In this research, a statistical study on skin movement is proposed and conducted to quantify skin movement on human hands. Results of 30 subjects (15 men and 15 women) reveal that skin at the finger back extends by an average of 29.3 ± 7.2% in fist clenching. Based on this study, design guidelines for robotic gloves are proposed, and nominal strain values at different hand regions are tabulated for references in robotic glove design. To explore the influence of skin movement on wearable robotics, an elastomer-constrained flat tube actuator is proposed based on which two prototype robotic gloves are developed: one with an ergonomic strap interface that has small constraint to skin motion, and the other based on the commonly used fabric glove that is supposed to have large constraint to skin motion. With the same power input to the robotic gloves, the strap-based design achieves a finger motion range of 2.5 times and a gripping force of 4.3 times that of the conventional fabric glove.

From Skin Movement to Wearable Robotics: The Case of Robotic Gloves.

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