A Review on Robotic Hand Exoskeleton Devices: State-of-the-Art Method

An exoskeleton is a device that helps the process of medical rehabilitation for people who have disorders in using their limbs. A low cost, effective sensor, control system, and an actuator are still the central issue in developing exoskeleton devices. This study aims to review an exoskeleton device, development, and recent technologies. The contribution of this study is that the paper can be used as a guideline to design an exoskeleton device. Specifically, the focus of this review discusses hand exoskeleton design. This review discusses three things, namely control signal, control mechanism, and exoskeleton actuator. In terms of the control signal, it addresses several techniques to control the exoskeleton by utilizing EMG, EEG, voice, and FSR (forced sensor) signals. In terms of control mechanism, several studies utilize pattern recognition based on machine learning and virtual reality to assist in using the exoskeleton. In terms of the actuator, the exoskeleton that was designed still has some shortcomings, namely weight and ergonomic design. The review results show that EMG signals are more often used in controlling exoskeleton devices. In the method section, pattern recognition using machine learning is still a significant part of the development of exoskeleton. In the actuator section, DC motors and linear actuators are more widely used than other types of motors. So, overall, the exoskeleton can still be improved from various aspects to make the subject more comfortable in use.