The field of soft robotics has grown rapidly in the past decade with increased focus on actuators, sensors, and modeling and control methods. However, high energy costs for actuation and a lack of portable pneumatic sources capable of providing high pressures and air flow rates have historically hindered the widespread adoption of untethered pneumatic...

Plantar flexion contracture (PFC), a painful condition where the ankle remains in a plantar flexed state, is common in patients who have suffered from traumatic brain injury, acquired brain injury or stroke. PFC makes it difficult for patients to walk, reduces their range of motion and causes gait changes. Current treatments for PFC, serial casts made...

Hemiparesis, which is muscle weakness or partial paralysis on one side of the body, affects about 8 out of 10 stroke survivors, resulting in reduced motor performance which can include difficulty walking or grasping items. Gait training has been found to improve muscular strength and movement coordination. While there are many devices to help with lower-limb...

Patients with neurological conditions, particularly stroke patients, often suffer from somatosensory impairment, or loss of feeling, in their hands. Because they can’t gauge the force of their grip, they have difficulty picking up items and may inadvertently crush or drop them, causing embarrassment and reduced quality of life. While there are...

The ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs) is partially lost in human beings with physical conditions such stroke, cerebral palsy, and old age. Such conditions often lead to partial loss of muscle function as well as weakness and muscle atrophy. A large number of people experience a loss of control and/or weakness in their quadriceps responsible...