Smart Glove May Help Recover from Stroke

Students at McGill University in Quebec, Canada have developed an electronic glove that can monitor how well patients post stroke are playing video games. Sensors throughout the glove provide detailed information about hand motion and the system can send the data to a physician or rehab specialist.

It is designed to allow patients to exercise in their own homes with minimal supervision, while at the same time permitting doctors to monitor their progress from a distance, thus cutting down on hospital visits and costs.Patients can monitor their progress thanks to software, which will generate 3D models and display them on the screen, while at the same time sending the information to the treating physician.

The glove was developed by the students in response to a design request from the startup company Jintronix Inc. The students met with company representatives once a week for several months to develop the glove, which can track the movements of the wrist, the palm and the index finger using several Inertial Measurement Units. Although similar gloves currently exist, they costs approximately $30,000. By using more accurate and less expensive sensors, the students were able to develop a glove that currently costs $1000 to produce.

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