Development and Usability Testing of a Finger Grip Enhancer for the Elderly
As people age, their finger function deteriorates due to muscle, nerve, and brain degener-ation. While exercises might delay this deterioration, an invention that enhances elderly people�s pinching abilities is essential. This study aims to design and develop a finger grip enhancer that facilitates...
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my.uniten.dspace-272732023-05-29T17:41:58Z Development and Usability Testing of a Finger Grip Enhancer for the Elderly Tan D.W.H. Ng P.K. Noor E.E.M. Saptari A. Hue C.C. Ng Y.J. 57211181371 36835757300 57222292855 41762527400 57414759800 57314441300 As people age, their finger function deteriorates due to muscle, nerve, and brain degener-ation. While exercises might delay this deterioration, an invention that enhances elderly people�s pinching abilities is essential. This study aims to design and develop a finger grip enhancer that facilitates the day-to-day pinching activities of elderly people. This research is an extension of a previous study that conceptualised a finger grip enhancer. The device facilitates finger flexion on the thumb and index finger, and weighs 520 g, allowing for improved portability and sufficient force exertion (13.9 N) for day-to-day pinching. To test for usability, eleven subjects aged 65 years and above performed a pinch-lift-hold test on various household objects. The pinch force before and after utilising the device was measured. Using Minitab 18, the statistical significance of using this device was analysed with a paired-samples t-test. With this device, the elderly people�s pinching abilities significantly improved in both pinch force and pinch force steadiness (p < 0.05). The proposed device has the potential to enhance elderly people�s quality of life by supporting a firm pinch in the handling of everyday objects. This research has applicational value in developing exoskeleton devices for patients who require rehabilitation. � 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Final 2023-05-29T09:41:57Z 2023-05-29T09:41:57Z 2022 Article 10.3390/robotics11010005 2-s2.0-85122968842 https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85122968842&doi=10.3390%2frobotics11010005&partnerID=40&md5=b58c7797f46b2932e76eb92c18c790b7 https://irepository.uniten.edu.my/handle/123456789/27273 11 1 5 All Open Access, Gold MDPI Scopus |
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As people age, their finger function deteriorates due to muscle, nerve, and brain degener-ation. While exercises might delay this deterioration, an invention that enhances elderly people�s pinching abilities is essential. This study aims to design and develop a finger grip enhancer that facilitates the day-to-day pinching activities of elderly people. This research is an extension of a previous study that conceptualised a finger grip enhancer. The device facilitates finger flexion on the thumb and index finger, and weighs 520 g, allowing for improved portability and sufficient force exertion (13.9 N) for day-to-day pinching. To test for usability, eleven subjects aged 65 years and above performed a pinch-lift-hold test on various household objects. The pinch force before and after utilising the device was measured. Using Minitab 18, the statistical significance of using this device was analysed with a paired-samples t-test. With this device, the elderly people�s pinching abilities significantly improved in both pinch force and pinch force steadiness (p < 0.05). The proposed device has the potential to enhance elderly people�s quality of life by supporting a firm pinch in the handling of everyday objects. This research has applicational value in developing exoskeleton devices for patients who require rehabilitation. � 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. |
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57211181371 |
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57211181371 Tan D.W.H. Ng P.K. Noor E.E.M. Saptari A. Hue C.C. Ng Y.J. |
| format |
Article |
| author |
Tan D.W.H. Ng P.K. Noor E.E.M. Saptari A. Hue C.C. Ng Y.J. |
| spellingShingle |
Tan D.W.H. Ng P.K. Noor E.E.M. Saptari A. Hue C.C. Ng Y.J. Development and Usability Testing of a Finger Grip Enhancer for the Elderly |
| author_sort |
Tan D.W.H. |
| title |
Development and Usability Testing of a Finger Grip Enhancer for the Elderly |
| title_short |
Development and Usability Testing of a Finger Grip Enhancer for the Elderly |
| title_full |
Development and Usability Testing of a Finger Grip Enhancer for the Elderly |
| title_fullStr |
Development and Usability Testing of a Finger Grip Enhancer for the Elderly |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Development and Usability Testing of a Finger Grip Enhancer for the Elderly |
| title_sort |
development and usability testing of a finger grip enhancer for the elderly |
| publisher |
MDPI |
| publishDate |
2023 |
| _version_ |
1806424000328368128 |
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13.211869 |