A Mirror-Hand Rehabilitation System Based on Virtual Reality Interaction

The application of robotics in the field of home rehabilitation training has revolutionized the way patients receive treatment. However, current rehabilitation robotic systems often lack diverse training methods and sufficient feedback channels, resulting in challenges for patients to sustain long-term engagement in rehabilitation training. This paper introduces a novel hand rehabilitation robot system that leverages virtual reality technology, multi-channel feedback technology, and mirror therapy to facilitate autonomous hand rehabilitation treatment for patients in a home setting. The system comprises a soft glove, a computer equipped with virtual interaction scenes, Leapmotion sensors, and a soft glove control box. To evaluate the usability and patient acceptance of the system, a clinical trial involving five patients was conducted. The trial results demonstrated noteworthy improvements in finger grip strength, with an increase from 8.74 ± 14.2 N to 17.82 ± 13.63 N when utilizing the soft glove. Furthermore, patients' upper extremity function assessment scale (ARAT) scores exhibited improvement from 12.4 ± 23.44 to 24.44 ± 25.89, and their functional ability for daily living (ADL) showed improvement from 43.8 ± 47.22 to 50.6 ± 43.24. These measurements indicated significant enhancements compared to the baseline, signifying that the proposed system did not compromise finger functionality. Additionally, the results of a user acceptance questionnaire, consisting of seven surveys administered to the patients, demonstrated a positive score of 4.18 ± 0.61 and a negative score of 0.95 ± 0.57. These outcomes reflect a high level of acceptance among patients, affirming the system's safety and effectiveness in providing a comfortable and reliable platform for rehabilitation training.