Design Criteria of Soft Exogloves for Hand Rehabilitation-Assistance Tasks

Table 1

Actuators for SEG systems.

Actuation	Types	Advantages	Disadvantages
Electrical	(i) Muscle wires; (ii) Tendon-driven; (iii) Shape memory alloys	(i) Cable paths reduce friction; (ii) Provides continuous force; (iii) Stores energy; (iv) Commercial availability	(i) Complex transmissions; (ii) Continuous hours of operation are restricted; (iii) Nonlinearity of the system makes control difficult
Pneumatic	(i) FREA; (ii) Inflatable chambers; (iii) Pneumatic artificial muscles	(i) Allows multiple DOF; (ii) Supports their structural shape; (iii) Allows adaptability; (iv) Lightweight	(i) Requires compressed air; (ii) Requires a reservoir; (iii) Inaccurate forces; (iv) Problems with leaks; (v) Portability is restricted
Hydraulic	(i) Fluid chambers	(i) High load capacity and power supply; (ii) Low cost; (iii) Allows multiple DOF	(i) Heavy systems; (ii) Problems with leaks; (iii) Portability is restricted; (iv) Requires a reservoir and a pump