NeoMano, Powerful Wearable Robotic Glove

NeoMano is designed to aid people who lack hand grip strength due to different reasons, such as spinal cord injury (SCI), stroke, Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS), multipole sclerosis, cerebral palsy and nerve injury. It provides them with a means to perform daily tasks self-reliantly – swinging a golf club, pouring water, painting with a brush, flipping pages, using a camera and much more – with hopes that it would boost the user’s confidence in his/her rehabilitation process, eventually empowering them to move forward with their lives. The three-finger leather glove allows the index and middle finger to form a C-shaped grip for larger objects and a pinch grip for smaller objects. An aluminium splint on the back of the thumb securely fixes the thumb in various bending positions. A neoprene assistive strap on the back of the index finger adjusts the tension to help patients suffering from stiff fingers better maintain their hand positions. The anti-slip silicone coating (on the palm, the thumb, the index, and the middle fingers) prevents accidental slippage and allow firmer grip. Tactile sensory input is received through the exposed parts of the hand. Operated via a Bluetooth remote controller, the motor controls the pulley and varies the grip strength by performing ‘active grasp’ followed by ‘passive release’. The ‘grip’ button on the controller flexes the fingers to make a gripping gesture and tightens the grip. The ‘release’ button loosens the fingers to relax the grip and returns the hand to its neutral position. The motor is in a plastic housing that slides in and out of the plastic dock attached to the main glove; therefore, the glove is usable with or without the motor attached. Accessories include two arm bands: one to house the batteries that power the motor, and the other for the clip-on Bluetooth remote controller. Created by a team with eight years of expertise, an assistive device for patients suffering from hand paralysis will finally come to life in the form of this three-finger leather glove – the first-of-its-kind. NeoMano, with its useful yet ingenious features, will help users regain mobility in their hands and ultimately improve their quality of life. Red Dot Award: Design Concept | Ready to Launch | Bionics