Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Jianwei Lai, Aiguo Song, Jiajin Wang, Ye Lu, Ting Wu, Huijun Li, Baoguo Xu, XiangShan Wei
Summary: This paper presents the development of a novel honeycomb pneumatic actuator (HPA) constructed using flexible thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) coating through hot pressing or ultrasonic welding techniques. Compared to the previously utilized double-layer fabric-based pneumatic actuators (DLFPAs), the HPAs yields a remarkable 862% increase in end output force. The integration of HPAs onto a soft pneumatic glove enables the facilitation of various activities of daily living and significantly enhances the patients' daily functioning.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON NEURAL SYSTEMS AND REHABILITATION ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Fengguan Li, Jiahong Chen, Zhitao Zhou, Jiefeng Xie, Zishu Gao, Yuxiang Xiao, Pei Dai, Chanchan Xu, Xiaojie Wang, Yitong Zhou
Summary: Soft robotic gloves have gained significant attention in hand rehabilitation, but current solutions are heavy and lack finger-state monitoring and versatile treatment options. Researchers have developed a lightweight glove actuated by twisted string actuators, allowing whole-hand finger motion tracking, and utilized a virtual reality environment for rehabilitation training.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Yinlong Zhu, Weizhuang Gong, Kaimei Chu, Xu Wang, Zhiqiang Hu, Haijun Su
Summary: This paper presents a new type of soft rehabilitation gloves with flexion/extension and abduction/adduction movement function for every finger. The experimental evaluation demonstrates the potential of these gloves in improving hand movement freedom and range of grasping.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Gregory Jackson, Hussein A. Abdullah
Summary: This study designed a pneumatic hand training device for post-stroke rehabilitation and verified its safety and comfort through experiments.
Article
Robotics
Wenda Xu, Yunfei Guo, Cesar Bravo, Pinhas Ben-Tzvi
Summary: This article presents the development of an exoskeleton glove system for brachial plexus injury patients to regain grasping functionality. The study explores design principles, optimization strategies, and compares various force control methods. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed exoskeleton glove system has the potential to be used as a rehabilitation device.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ROBOTICS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
Xinjie Wang, Yan Cheng, Huadong Zheng, Yihao Li, Caidong Wang
Summary: This study proposes a new type of soft rehabilitation glove by optimizing the structure of soft actuators, which effectively improves the rehabilitation treatment of hand dysfunction, providing better rehabilitation training tools for patients with hand dysfunction.
INDUSTRIAL ROBOT-THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ROBOTICS RESEARCH AND APPLICATION
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Fengguan Li, Jiahong Chen, Guanpeng Ye, Siwei Dong, Zishu Gao, Yitong Zhou
Summary: In this study, an inexpensive soft robotic glove for hand rehabilitation in virtual reality is presented. The glove uses inertial measurement units for finger motion tracking and a motor-tendon actuation system to provide force feedback. The accuracy of the finger-motion-tracking algorithm is validated through static and dynamic tests. The haptic glove is applied in a Unity-based VR interface to provide haptic feedback while squeezing a soft virtual ball.
Article
Robotics
Dong Hyun Kim, Yechan Lee, Hyung-Soon Park
Summary: The research team proposed a high-degree-of-freedom soft robotic glove inspired by the anatomical features of human hands to assist individuals with impaired hand function in improving their grasping performance. Evaluation showed that the device could stably grasp and manipulate objects in various postures.
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Shota Kokubu, Pablo E. Tortos Vinocour, Wenwei Yu
Summary: In this study, a new modular soft actuator was proposed to improve the support performance of soft rehabilitation gloves (SRGs). Objective evaluations and clinical tests were conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness and functionality of the proposed actuator and SRG.
ROBOTICS AND AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS
(2024)
Article
Robotics
Xiangli Li, Yufei Hao, Jianhua Zhang, Chang Wang, Dai Li, Jianjun Zhang
Summary: Soft wearable devices for hand rehabilitation can assist with daily activities. A variable stiffness pneumatic actuator has been proposed to facilitate finger extension in patients with increased muscular tension. Experimental results show that the actuator can achieve the desired fingertip output force and stiffness change for stroke patients.
IEEE ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Seyed Mehdi Rakhtala, Roozbeh Ghayebi
Summary: Soft robotic gloves were designed to assist in the rehabilitation of hand pathologies and coordination of gripping exercises through a new soft robotic actuator. The use of two sensors in the hardware allows for intelligent control of finger angles and air pressure, while a Model-Based Design method provides a cost-effective and robust control strategy. Experimental results demonstrate the soft robotic glove's ability to accurately grip various objects during daily activities.
MEDICAL ENGINEERING & PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Edward F. Austin, Charlotte P. Kearney, Pedro J. Chacon, Sara A. Winges, Prasanna Acharya, Jin-Woo Choi
Summary: Understanding hand and wrist forces is crucial for modeling prosthetics/orthotics, preventing workplace injuries, and understanding elite movement patterns. However, accurately measuring these forces is challenging due to the small size and numerous joints in the hand. This study used FlexiForce sensors sewn into a glove to capture finger forces during grasp and key turn activities. The results showed maximal forces of 9N and 24N at the distal middle finger phalanx and distal thumb phalanx, respectively. These findings will inform the design of appropriate actuators in exoskeletons, orthotics, and prosthetics to replicate hand forces during activities of daily living.
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Phillip Tran, Seokhwan Jeong, Fanzhe Lyu, Kinsey Herrin, Shovan Bhatia, Drew Elliott, Scott Kozin, Jaydev P. Desai
Summary: This article presents a novel voice-controlled soft robotic hand exoskeleton for hand assistance. The glove design uses high consistency rubber silicone and biomimetic tendon routing, providing a robust and optimal-fitting design with five-degree-of-freedom motion. The system includes a smartphone app-based voice user interface for intuitive control. Experimental results show that the system is effective for hand assistance and activity completion.
IEEE-ASME TRANSACTIONS ON MECHATRONICS
(2022)
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Phillip Tran, Seokhwan Jeong, Fanzhe Lyu, Kinsey Herrin, Shovan Bhatia, Drew Elliott, Scott Kozin, Jaydev P. Desai
Summary: This article introduces a voice-controlled soft robotic hand exoskeleton for hand assistance, proposing a novel fabrication method for the wearable glove and a smartphone app-based voice UI for intuitive control system. It aims to provide active assistance for effective completion of activities of daily living, with experiments conducted to evaluate the system.
IEEE-ASME TRANSACTIONS ON MECHATRONICS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Huadong Zheng, Yan Cheng, Xinjie Wang, Caidong Wang, Fengyang Liu, Wei Bai, Liangwen Wang
Summary: This work introduces a novel highly adaptable flexible soft glove consisting of multimode deformable three-jointed soft fingers. These soft fingers are made up of soft actuators and plastic materials that can be driven and controlled with a single Degree of Freedom (DOF). Various soft actuators are used as joint drive components to meet the finger's motion requirements under different working conditions. Theoretical models and simulations were developed to describe the deflection and curvature changes of the soft actuators and fingers, which were then validated through experiments. The prototype of a five-finger soft rehabilitation glove demonstrated the flexibility and functionality provided by the soft fingers, showcasing its versatility in various applications.
JOURNAL OF BIONIC ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Marko Ka Leung Chan, Winnie Ka Yee Yeung, Jason King Pong Yu, Serena Sin Wah Ng, Raymond Kai Yu Tong
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between EEG signals and cognitive function and mental wellbeing in people with chronic stroke. The results showed a significant correlation between brain symmetry index and cognitive and wellbeing assessment, particularly in the delta frequency range. The findings suggest that EEG can be used as an adjunctive neuropsychological assessment tool for individuals with chronic stroke who cannot undergo conventional assessments.
CLINICAL EEG AND NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Wenlong Li, Wutao Lou, Wenyun Zhang, Raymond Kai-Yu Tong, Richu Jin, Weiwei Peng
Summary: Reduced empathy and elevated alexithymia are associated with altered asymmetry in brain morphology in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study investigated whether trait autism, empathy, and alexithymia in the general population are also linked to brain morphological asymmetry. The findings suggest that gyrus rectus asymmetry could be a shared neural correlate among trait alexithymia, cognitive empathy, and social functioning in neurotypical adults.
Article
Neurosciences
Kai Yuan, Chun-hang Eden Ti, Xin Wang, Cheng Chen, Cathy Choi -yin Lau, Winnie Chiu-wing Chu, Raymond Kai-yu Tong
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the effects of anodal tDCS on functional changes in sensorimotor areas among chronic stroke survivors. The results showed that anodal tDCS facilitated functional connectivity within the ipsilesional sensorimotor network. Additionally, individual electric field strength was found to predict the functional outcomes.
NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence
Weibing Li, Philip Wai Yan Chiu, Zheng Li
Summary: This article introduces a new neural approach to solve the joint-velocity minimization problem for kinematically redundant robots. By integrating a classical INVM scheme and a novel joint-limit handling technique, the problem is formulated as a unified time-variant linear programming with full derivative information. A continuous-time ZNN and its corresponding discrete-time ZNN are designed to solve the problem, and theoretical analysis proves the convergence of the neural approach. Numerical studies show that the proposed DTZNN solver outperforms state-of-the-art linear programming solvers in terms of computing time. The effectiveness and practicality of the neural approach and the INVM scheme with the new joint-limit handling technique are demonstrated through simulation and experimental results.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON NEURAL NETWORKS AND LEARNING SYSTEMS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Qiwen Emma Lei, Jing Shu, Junming Wang, Hoi Yan Cheung, Jason P. Y. Cheung, Wing Fai Wong, Sanders Cheuk Yin Lau, Joanne Yip, Raymond K. Y. Tong
Summary: Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is a common condition in children that can be effectively treated with rigid braces, but compliance is often low due to discomfort and limited mobility. In this study, a kirigami-inspired spring was developed to modify an exoskeleton hinge vertebrae, providing immediate in-brace correction, comfort, and mobility. The 3D printed springs were optimized using finite element analysis and showed significant improvements in spinal curvature.
FRONTIERS IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING-SWITZERLAND
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Xinyu Li, Huifen Hao, Yingying Li, Lisa Wing-Chi Au, Ganqin Du, Xiuju Gao, Junqiang Yan, Raymond Kai-Yu Tong, Wutao Lou
Summary: Menstrually-related migraine (MM) is a primary migraine that affects women of reproductive age. In this study, we investigated the differences in network integration and segregation in the cortical connections of MM patients using morphometric similarity analysis. We found disrupted cortical network integration and decreased efficiency in pain-related brain regions in MM patients compared to healthy controls. The results suggest that MM reorganizes brain morphology and reduces the brain's capacity for parallel information processing.
Article
Biology
Meng Zhou, Zhe Xu, Raymond Kai-Yu Tong
Summary: This paper proposes a novel Superpixel-guided Class-level Denoised self-training framework (SCD) for unsupervised domain adaptation without source data. By training on the target domain with pseudo labels generated by a pretrained source model, three components are introduced to address the noise issue, including an adaptive thresholding strategy, a masked superpixel-guided clustering method, and adaptive learning schemes. The experiments demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed approach.
COMPUTERS IN BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence
Zhe Xu, Yixin Wang, Donghuan Lu, Xiangde Luo, Jiangpeng Yan, Yefeng Zheng, Raymond Kai-yu Tong
Summary: This study proposes a novel model AC-MT which selects regions with high uncertainty as training targets, thereby improving the performance of semi-supervised learning in medical image segmentation.
MEDICAL IMAGE ANALYSIS
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Jing Shu, Junming Wang, Zheng Li, Kai-yu (Raymond) Tong
Summary: This study investigated the effects of slit edge notches on the mechanical properties of 3D-printed PA12 nylon kirigami specimens. The results showed that the stiffness of the samples is positively correlated with the number of edges in the notch shape and negatively correlated with the notch area. A mathematical relationship between the stretching tensile stiffness and the notch area was established. These findings contribute to the development and optimization of kirigami-inspired structures for various applications.
Article
Robotics
Haochen Wei, Raymond Kai-yu Tong, Michael Yu Wang, Chao Chen
Summary: This study focuses on accurately identifying gait phases during stair ambulation using IMU-based phase detection and a LSTM-CRF hybrid model. Data was collected from four IMU sensors attached to the thighs and shanks of ten healthy subjects during stair ascent and descent trials. The network's performance was evaluated using F1-score, recall, and precision, with average scores of 96.3%, 96.6%, and 95.9% respectively.
IEEE ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Ahsan Khan, Jochen A. Mosbacher, Stephan E. Vogel, Mira Binder, Michael Wehovz, Arnulf Moshammer, Stefan Halverscheid, Kolja Pustelnik, Michael A. Nitsche, Raymond Kai-Yu Tong, Roland H. Grabner
Summary: This study investigates the effects of multi-session theta band stimulation on arithmetic training. The results suggest that repetitive stimulation can significantly alter resting-state functional connectivity, but it does not affect white matter structure integrity or behavioral performance.
BRAIN STRUCTURE & FUNCTION
(2023)
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Disheng Xie, Yujie Su, Xiaolu Li, Jingxun Chen, Xiangqian Shi, Dezhi Liang, Joanne Yip, Jianbin Liu, Zheng Li, Raymond Kai-yu Tong
Summary: A bionic artificial muscle called ExoMuscle has been developed to mimic the structure and performance of skeletal muscle. It outperforms skeletal muscle in terms of actuation stress, strain, optimal length, velocity-independence output, power density, and efficiency. With its adjustable pennation architecture, it can achieve variable actuation stress while maintaining high efficiency. ExoMuscle closely conforms to the anatomical complexity of the human body, making it suitable for applications in bio-robotics, especially wearable robots.
ADVANCED INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS
(2023)
Proceedings Paper
Imaging Science & Photographic Technology
Zhe Xu, Jie Luo, Donghuan Lu, Jiangpeng Yan, Sarah Frisken, Jayender Jagadeesan, William M. Wells, Xiu Li, Yefeng Zheng, Raymond Kai-Yu Tong
Summary: To address the ill-posed nature of the image registration problem, this study proposes a mean-teacher based registration framework that incorporates a temporal consistency regularization term and automatically adjusts the weights of spatial regularization and temporal consistency regularization based on transformation uncertainty and appearance uncertainty. Experimental results demonstrate that this approach achieves a better tradeoff between hyperparameter tuning and accuracy versus smoothness.
MEDICAL IMAGE COMPUTING AND COMPUTER ASSISTED INTERVENTION, MICCAI 2022, PT VI
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
M. J. Khan, B. Ganesan, K. N. K. Fong, J. Yip, M. Forhadul Hoque, S. M. Mahmudul Hasan, S. Zaman, M. D. H. Hawlader, R. K. Y. Tong
Summary: Clubfoot is a growing public health concern in Bangladesh, and this study found that age is the most significant factor influencing the number of casts required for correcting clubfoot, especially among children aged <= 1 year.
EUROPEAN REVIEW FOR MEDICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Kai Yuan, Cheng Chen, Wu-Tao Lou, Ahsan Khan, Eden Chun-Hang Ti, Cathy Choi-Yin Lau, Xin Wang, Winnie Chiu-Wing Chu, Raymond Kai-Yu Tong
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the frequency-specific effects of tACS on chronic stroke. Through tACS and fMRI experiments, it was found that 10 Hz tACS can enhance activation in the ipsilesional precentral area during paretic hand movements, while both 10 Hz and 20 Hz tACS can enhance activation in the contralesional precentral area during non-paretic hand movements. Resting-state seed-based functional connectivity analysis showed that 10 Hz tACS mainly modulates functional connectivity within motor-related regions, while 20 Hz tACS also modulates connectivity in regions beyond motor-related areas. Graph theory analysis further demonstrated the modulation of functional interaction by tACS in the whole-brain level.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON NEURAL SYSTEMS AND REHABILITATION ENGINEERING
(2022)