Coming from someone whose mother suffered a stroke in a third world country, rehabilitation not done right after a stroke could leave the patient marred. A group of researchers from the University at Hertfordshire have a different approach that helps stroke sufferers to recover strength in their affected hands. The team developed a prototype of a robotic glove called SCRIPT (Supervised Care and Rehabilitation Involving Personal Tele-robotics) which allows the stroke suffer to use it in their own home to support rehabilitation and personal independence in receiving therapies.
The robotic glove allows the patient to wear it over their hand and forearm while it’s paired with a therapeutic game. The SCRIPT robotic arm is not just fun and games, it also records the patient’s usage performance and passes it down to a therapist for tailoring treatment remotely and arranging follow-up. After three years and 2 prototypes, SCRIPT researchers have spent over $5 million dollars trying to fine tune it. Satisfied with their result, the team is now is looking for a way to fund this prototype into a product for home rehabilitation. See the source link for more.
[Image credit: University of Hertfordshire]