"Handreha": A new Hand and Wrist Haptic Device for Hemiplegic Children

This paper presents the development of a new haptic device for hand rehabilitation for hemiplegic children. "Hanreha" has been developed at the EPFL thanks to the interest of the "Neurology and Pediatric NeuroRehabilitation" Service of the CHUV (Centre Hospitalier Universitaire du Canton de Vaud). The novelty of this device is that it is a 3 degrees of freedom desktop system, supporting pronation/supination, flexion/extension and grasping hand movements and it is totally dedicated, in its current state, to children. The kinematics and the construction aspects of this desktop device are presented. Its different advantages are discussed to point out the benefits of this structure. Control and force feedback aspects combined with virtual reality are also presented. A prototype of the "Handreha" is realized and presented and the performances discussed. The first evaluations with hemiplegic children really show that the mechanical design of the device fits the targeted specifications