Hemiparetic gait after stroke is typically asymmetric and energetically inefficient. A major contributor to walking deficits is impaired paretic ankle function. Impaired paretic ankle plantarflexion (PF) reduces forward propulsion symmetry and impaired paretic ankle dorsiflexion (DF) diminishes ground clearance during swing. We have developed soft wearable robots (soft exosuits) to assist paretic PF and DF during walking after stroke. Through experimental studies with poststroke patients, we have demonstrated that exosuits can improve forward propulsion symmetry and ground clearance in walking, ultimately reducing the metabolic cost of walking. This paper presents an optimized soft exosuit aimed at use in clinical gait training for patients poststroke. The optimized exosuit is lightweight, easy to don and doff, and capable of efficiently delivering mechanical assistance to the paretic ankle. This paper focuses on the optimized controller that can deliver well-timed consistent ankle assistance to patients. A preliminary study was performed using this exosuit with three poststroke patients with heterogeneous gait patterns. Results showed that compared to a previously published controller, more consistent assistive force profiles could be delivered to individuals poststroke while consuming 50% less electrical power. Additionally, a preliminary biomechanical assessment was performed during overground walking.

This paper presents advancements in the design of a portable, soft robotic glove for individuals with functional grasp pathologies. The robotic glove leverages soft material actuator technology to safely distribute forces along the length of the finger and provide active flexion and passive extension. These actuators consist of molded elastomeric bladders with anisotropic fiber reinforcements that produce specific bending, twisting, and extending trajectories upon fluid pressurization. In particular, we present a method for customizing a soft actuator to a wearer's biomechanics and demonstrate in a motion capture system that the ranges of motion (ROM) of the two are nearly equivalent. The active ROM of the glove is further evaluated using the Kapandji test. Lastly, in a case study, we present preliminary results of a patient with very weak hand strength performing a timed Box-and-Block test with and without the soft robotic glove.