Improving Usability of Rehabilitation Robots: Hand Module Evaluation of the ARMin Exoskeleton

The impact of arm rehabilitation robots increases with their usability. Hereby, usability can refer to many aspects of the robot’s functionalities in relation to interaction with the patient and/or the therapist. In the current case, the usability of robotic hand modules are in the focus. Especially for patients with spastic hand function, the design of the hand module is a critical factor for the patient set-up time. In this paper, the development of a new hand module for the ARMin according to usability requirements is presented. The requirements entail fast set-up time, functional movement and force training as well as hygiene factors. The developed hand module fulfills the requirements and is expected to increase usability and acceptance of the device.