Tan, Dominic Wen How and Ng, Poh Kiat and Noor, Ervina Efzan Mhd and Saptari, Adi and Hue, Chee Chen and Ng, Yu Jin (2022) Development and usability testing of a finger grip enhancer for the elderly. Robotics, 11 (1). DOI https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics11010005.
Full text not available from this repository.Abstract
As people age, their finger function deteriorates due to muscle, nerve, and brain degener-ation. While exercises might delay this deterioration, an invention that enhances elderly people’s pinching abilities is essential. This study aims to design and develop a finger grip enhancer that facilitates the day-to-day pinching activities of elderly people. This research is an extension of a previous study that conceptualised a finger grip enhancer. The device facilitates finger flexion on the thumb and index finger, and weighs 520 g, allowing for improved portability and sufficient force exertion (13.9 N) for day-to-day pinching. To test for usability, eleven subjects aged 65 years and above performed a pinch-lift-hold test on various household objects. The pinch force before and after utilising the device was measured. Using Minitab 18, the statistical significance of using this device was analysed with a paired-samples t-test. With this device, the elderly people’s pinching abilities significantly improved in both pinch force and pinch force steadiness (p < 0.05). The proposed device has the potential to enhance elderly people’s quality of life by supporting a firm pinch in the handling of everyday objects. This research has applicational value in developing exoskeleton devices for patients who require rehabilitation. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Funders: | Multimedia University [Grant No; MMU/RMC/PC/2021/53612] |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Finger grip; Elderly; Ergonomic; Spinch assistant; Pinch force; Usability |
| Subjects: | T Technology > T Technology (General) |
| Divisions: | Faculty of Engineering |
| Depositing User: | Ms. Juhaida Abd Rahim |
| Date Deposited: | 10 Oct 2023 09:04 |
| Last Modified: | 10 Oct 2023 09:04 |
| URI: | http://eprints.um.edu.my/id/eprint/43151 |
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