Stroke sufferers’ hand movement may be improved with smart gloves
This month, a group of British Columbian stroke survivors will test a novel device intended to speed their recuperation and eventually help them regain use of their hands and limbs.
In order to measure their hand and finger motions during rehabilitation activities under the guidance of renowned stroke recovery expert and UBC medical professor Dr. Janice Eng, volunteers will don a novel and innovative smart glove.
The glove can detect, record, and send messages wirelessly, even the slightest hand and finger motions, thanks to an advanced network of pressure-detecting and highly sensitive sensor fibres woven into a cosy, elastic fabric.
This glove makes it possible to see people’s hands and fingers without the need for cameras. Dr. Eng continued that those engaged can evaluate and optimise the way they train, even from a distance, for the best results.
The smart glove was developed for cooperation on the stroke project by Dr. Peyman Servati, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at UBC, PhD candidate Arvin Tashakori, and their team at their business, Texavie. Dr. Servati outlined many innovations that were detailed in an article that Nature Machine Intelligence released this week.
This glove is the most precise at monitoring gripping force and hand and finger movements without requiring motion-capture devices. Thanks to the developed machine learning models, the glove can accurately identify the positions of all finger joints and the hand as it moves. The equipment’s remarkable speed and accuracy equal the capabilities of costly motion-capture lenses. It has a 99 percent precision rate in predicting motion and can identify small strains and stresses.
In contrast to other items on the market today, the glove is cosy, portable, and simply washable once the battery is removed. Dr. Servati and his colleagues have devised sophisticated techniques to produce the smart gloves and associated clothing locally at a comparatively inexpensive price.
Working with several industry partners, Dr. Servati sees a smooth introduction of the glove into the consumer market with continuous advancements. The group also sees potential uses in animation, robotics, and virtual and augmented reality.
Imagine being able to record hand gestures and item interactions with accuracy, then having them appear on a screen automatically. The possibilities are infinite. It is possible to compose text without a keyboard in one’s hand, operate a robot, and instantly convert written speech from American Sign Language into written speech, making it simpler for those who are hard of hearing or deaf to communicate.
