Exoskeleton Hand, Colombia

Project name: Exoskeleton Hand for stroke survivors

Project location: Bogota, Colombia

Facebook: www.facebook.com/exohandproject

Project description:

I have been developing a hand exoskeleton aimed, mainly, for stroke survivors, however, it also could be used for any other patient that has some degree of disability in their hand, such as stiffness, spasticity or hemiparesis (weakness of the entire left or right side of the body).

One of the most difficult parts of the body to rehabilitate is the hand and it is also the most wanted part of the body that patients want to recover after being able to walk again.

Currently, the available processes are somewhat limited for most of stroke survivors and the device will help them to regain the muscle strength and coordination of their hand and will assist them on their daily activities at home to gain their independence back after the stroke.

Goal and purpose of the project:

The main purpose is to create an easy way to rehabilitate the hands of stroke survivors since they have lost all the independence they had before the stroke. They have the necessity to become independent again and not having to depend on anyone else, because they feel that they are a burden to their families, friends and carers which leads them to depression. With the exoskeleton they could regain the confidence lost after the stroke, thus, being able to integrate into society and start living a normal life once again.

Many of the stroke survivors in third world countries don't even have the resources to adapt their homes nor have the money to pay the expensive therapies they need, therefore, the exoskeleton is a great alternative for them .

Motivation of the applicant / applicant team:

It has been found that every 40 seconds, a person in the world has a stroke. About 270,000 people in Colombia and more than 30 million people in the world have suffered a stroke. The recovery is slow and costly for these patients, who need many rehabilitation therapies, home adaptations and special cares every day.

Stroke survivors have to deal not only with physical limitations but also with psychological problems that are mostly linked with their disabilities.

Colombia is a country with very limited resources when it comes to health. And there's little to zero awareness about stroke, on how to prevent it or how to deal with it.

That motivated me to start this project, I want to help stroke survivors to regain their confidence by start using their hands again and I also want to create awareness about stroke and ways to prevent it.

Use of prize money:

The money would be used to reduce the costs of the exoskeleton. The electronic and mechanical components of the exoskeleton could be bought in larger quantities, therefore reducing costs. Tools and a 3D printer will be bought to be able to have a good workshop in order to deliver faster and cut down the time of making them.

The prize would be useful to create a website and an user interface so people can interact with the exoskeleton and see their progress. A forum with a large community where stroke survivors can talk, share their experiences, create events to meet up and raise awareness about the issues that they have to deal every day would be built on the website.