The human hand is a highly complex anatomical structure, with more than 30 muscles, 27 bones, and thousands of nerve endings that together provide remarkable dexterity and precision. Its versatility makes it central to independence and daily living, yet this same complexity also makes it vulnerable to injury, pain, tremors, and disease. Studies indicate that over 13% of older adults experience hand pain or disability. The main causes of these hand function limitations include neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, neurological conditions like stroke and spinal cord injury, and autoimmune disorders such as Guillain-Barré syndrome and multiple sclerosis. In addition, age-related conditions such as sarcopenia, which leads to loss of muscle mass and strength, and osteoarthritis, which compromises the joints and causes pain, gradually weaken hand strength, while traumatic injuries such as fractures or peripheral nerve damage can result in sudden and permanent loss of function. These different causes highlight not only the clinical burden of hand disability but also the pressing need for innovative and effective therapeutic solutions that promote the recovery of mobility and the improvement of quality of life.
Home / Publications / Publication
Home / Publications / Publication
RESTORING HAND FUNCTION WITH A WEARABLE EXOSKELETON GLOVE
Publication type: Article Summary
Original title: A Pilot Study of an Innovative Hand Exoskeleton: Nuada Glove
Article publication date: October 2023
Source: Cureus
Authors: Rui Santos, Rodrigo Correia, Yuriy Mazin, Hugo Andrade & Filipe Quinaz
What is the goal, target audience, and areas of digital health it addresses?
The goal of the study was to evaluate the efficiency, usability, and clinical impact of the Nuada Glove, a novel wearable robotic device designed to assist individuals with hand impairments. The target audience comprises patients with such impairments resulting from neurological or musculoskeletal conditions, healthcare professionals in rehabilitation and occupational therapy, as well as researchers and developers in the fields of digital health, robotics, and assistive technologies. The study belongs to the field of digital health, focusing on rehabilitation technologies, robotics, wearable exoskeletons, and human–machine interfaces.
What is the context?
The human hand is a highly complex anatomical structure, with more than 30 muscles, 27 bones, and thousands of nerve endings that together provide remarkable dexterity and precision. Its versatility makes it central to independence and daily living, yet this same complexity also makes it vulnerable to injury, pain, tremors, and disease. Studies indicate that over 13% of older adults experience hand pain or disability. The main causes of these hand function limitations include neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, neurological conditions like stroke and spinal cord injury, and autoimmune disorders such as Guillain-Barré syndrome and multiple sclerosis. In addition, age-related conditions such as sarcopenia, which leads to loss of muscle mass and strength, and osteoarthritis, which compromises the joints and causes pain, gradually weaken hand strength, while traumatic injuries such as fractures or peripheral nerve damage can result in sudden and permanent loss of function. These different causes highlight not only the clinical burden of hand disability but also the pressing need for innovative and effective therapeutic solutions that promote the recovery of mobility and the improvement of quality of life.
What are the current approaches?
Traditional approaches to treating loss of hand mobility include physical and occupational therapy, pharmacological management, the use of splints or prostheses, and, in severe cases, surgical intervention. More recently, exoskeleton gloves have emerged as a promising alternative. These devices can be classified into four categories: assistive exoskeletons, which compensate for impaired functions; rehabilitation systems, which aim to restore lost abilities; augmentation devices, which enhance normal capabilities; and haptic systems, which simulate the sense of touch and are often used for virtual reality.
Despite their potential, current solutions face significant technical and practical limitations. Active exoskeletons rely on motors to generate force, which makes them heavy and restricts them to a limited range of actions. Passive devices, although lightweight and simple, are typically designed for very specific tasks, and therefore lack adaptability. As a result, many of these systems remain confined to research settings, as they are not sufficiently intuitive, present difficulties for patient adoption, or fail to integrate into rehabilitation workflows. It is important to note that patients tend to value ease of use and comfort over technical performance.
What does innovation consist of? How is the impact of this study assessed?
Focused on individuals with limitations in hand movement, the innovation of the Nuada Glove, a wearable robotic exoskeleton, lies in its hybrid design, which combines the lightness and usability of passive devices with the functional strength of active systems. To support the recovery of the ability to grasp objects, the system integrates a mechanical locking mechanism that individually secures each finger, sustaining the weight of the object and allowing the user to relax the hand. In this way, it provides a stable and effortless grip, regardless of the size or shape of the object.
The glove’s electromechanical system comprises a textile component with finger and palm openings to facilitate donning even for individuals with severe limitations, mechanical finger structures connected by artificial tendons, a forearm-mounted locking mechanism, and an electronic control module operated via a smartwatch.
In its inactive state, the glove allows natural finger movement. When activated, finger closure causes the tendons to slide into the locking mechanism, preventing reopening and maintaining grip without muscular effort. This design ensures energy efficiency, allowing an entire day of continuous use, guarantees safety by avoiding excessive force that could crush objects, and offers ease of use, as the transition between active and inactive states is controlled with a simple tap on the smartwatch.
A total of 63 patients with hand function impairments, aged between 24 and 84 years, were recruited at the North Rehabilitation Center and the São Pedro Continuum Care and Rehabilitation Unit. These patients presented neurological and musculoskeletal conditions. All participants were first-time users of the Nuada Glove and completed six grasping tasks simulating daily activities. With no prior experience using the Nuada Glove, all participants were asked to complete six object-grasping tasks simulating daily activities: three power tasks (holding a cup, a ball and lifting a 5 kg bag) and three precision tasks (pressing a button, drawing with a pen, and holding a sheet of paper). Each task was repeated five times, first without the glove and then with it, following a 15-minute explanation of the system’s functioning.
The impact was assessed using a performance scale from 1 to 5, where 1 indicated inability to perform the task and 5 indicated full completion (holding for at least one minute or completing all tasks). Improvement was defined as an increase of at least one point with the glove compared with without it. Evaluators also analysed qualitative aspects such as usability and safety, with particular attention to potential adverse events or glove failures.
What are the main results? What is the future of this approach?
Among the participants included in the evaluation, 98% showed improvement in at least one exercise performed with the glove, with only one patient not benefiting due to severe edema. Improvements varied according to the type of task: lifting a 5 kg bag had the highest success rate, with 92% of patients improving, followed by holding a cup (81%), holding a ball (78%), drawing with a pen (71%), pressing a button (63%), and holding a sheet of paper (58%). These results indicate that the glove is particularly effective for power tasks, while precision tasks may require functional refinements or additional training in advanced features. The glove proved easy to use and, after brief instruction, enabled participants to perform grasping tasks that had previously been impossible, with no incidents or risks identified.
In the future, it will be necessary to refine patient selection criteria, considering factors such as hand–glove size compatibility, in order to maximize clinical benefit. Training should be tailored to each user until they feel confident, with verbal guidance from the clinical team potentially enhancing results. Pathology-specific trials will be required, as the small number of participants in each clinical group limited the differential analyses in this study. Expanding trials to real-world contexts will be essential to assess long-term adoption, safety, and impact on autonomy and quality of life. If validated in continuous-use studies, this exoskeleton glove could become a reference technology in both assistive and rehabilitative care.
Would you like to know all the details?
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Home / Publications / Publication
RESTORING HAND FUNCTION WITH A WEARABLE EXOSKELETON GLOVE
Publication type: Article Summary
Original title: A Pilot Study of an Innovative Hand Exoskeleton: Nuada Glove
Article publication date: October 2023
Source: Cureus
Authors: Rui Santos, Rodrigo Correia, Yuriy Mazin, Hugo Andrade & Filipe Quinaz
What is the goal, target audience, and areas of digital health it addresses?
The goal of the study was to evaluate the efficiency, usability, and clinical impact of the Nuada Glove, a novel wearable robotic device designed to assist individuals with hand impairments. The target audience comprises patients with such impairments resulting from neurological or musculoskeletal conditions, healthcare professionals in rehabilitation and occupational therapy, as well as researchers and developers in the fields of digital health, robotics, and assistive technologies. The study belongs to the field of digital health, focusing on rehabilitation technologies, robotics, wearable exoskeletons, and human–machine interfaces.
What is the context?
The human hand is a highly complex anatomical structure, with more than 30 muscles, 27 bones, and thousands of nerve endings that together provide remarkable dexterity and precision. Its versatility makes it central to independence and daily living, yet this same complexity also makes it vulnerable to injury, pain, tremors, and disease. Studies indicate that over 13% of older adults experience hand pain or disability. The main causes of these hand function limitations include neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, neurological conditions like stroke and spinal cord injury, and autoimmune disorders such as Guillain-Barré syndrome and multiple sclerosis. In addition, age-related conditions such as sarcopenia, which leads to loss of muscle mass and strength, and osteoarthritis, which compromises the joints and causes pain, gradually weaken hand strength, while traumatic injuries such as fractures or peripheral nerve damage can result in sudden and permanent loss of function. These different causes highlight not only the clinical burden of hand disability but also the pressing need for innovative and effective therapeutic solutions that promote the recovery of mobility and the improvement of quality of life.
What are the current approaches?
Traditional approaches to treating loss of hand mobility include physical and occupational therapy, pharmacological management, the use of splints or prostheses, and, in severe cases, surgical intervention. More recently, exoskeleton gloves have emerged as a promising alternative. These devices can be classified into four categories: assistive exoskeletons, which compensate for impaired functions; rehabilitation systems, which aim to restore lost abilities; augmentation devices, which enhance normal capabilities; and haptic systems, which simulate the sense of touch and are often used for virtual reality.
Despite their potential, current solutions face significant technical and practical limitations. Active exoskeletons rely on motors to generate force, which makes them heavy and restricts them to a limited range of actions. Passive devices, although lightweight and simple, are typically designed for very specific tasks, and therefore lack adaptability. As a result, many of these systems remain confined to research settings, as they are not sufficiently intuitive, present difficulties for patient adoption, or fail to integrate into rehabilitation workflows. It is important to note that patients tend to value ease of use and comfort over technical performance.
What does innovation consist of? How is the impact of this study assessed?
Focused on individuals with limitations in hand movement, the innovation of the Nuada Glove, a wearable robotic exoskeleton, lies in its hybrid design, which combines the lightness and usability of passive devices with the functional strength of active systems. To support the recovery of the ability to grasp objects, the system integrates a mechanical locking mechanism that individually secures each finger, sustaining the weight of the object and allowing the user to relax the hand. In this way, it provides a stable and effortless grip, regardless of the size or shape of the object.
The glove’s electromechanical system comprises a textile component with finger and palm openings to facilitate donning even for individuals with severe limitations, mechanical finger structures connected by artificial tendons, a forearm-mounted locking mechanism, and an electronic control module operated via a smartwatch.
In its inactive state, the glove allows natural finger movement. When activated, finger closure causes the tendons to slide into the locking mechanism, preventing reopening and maintaining grip without muscular effort. This design ensures energy efficiency, allowing an entire day of continuous use, guarantees safety by avoiding excessive force that could crush objects, and offers ease of use, as the transition between active and inactive states is controlled with a simple tap on the smartwatch.
A total of 63 patients with hand function impairments, aged between 24 and 84 years, were recruited at the North Rehabilitation Center and the São Pedro Continuum Care and Rehabilitation Unit. These patients presented neurological and musculoskeletal conditions. All participants were first-time users of the Nuada Glove and completed six grasping tasks simulating daily activities. With no prior experience using the Nuada Glove, all participants were asked to complete six object-grasping tasks simulating daily activities: three power tasks (holding a cup, a ball and lifting a 5 kg bag) and three precision tasks (pressing a button, drawing with a pen, and holding a sheet of paper). Each task was repeated five times, first without the glove and then with it, following a 15-minute explanation of the system’s functioning.
The impact was assessed using a performance scale from 1 to 5, where 1 indicated inability to perform the task and 5 indicated full completion (holding for at least one minute or completing all tasks). Improvement was defined as an increase of at least one point with the glove compared with without it. Evaluators also analysed qualitative aspects such as usability and safety, with particular attention to potential adverse events or glove failures.
What are the main results? What is the future of this approach?
Among the participants included in the evaluation, 98% showed improvement in at least one exercise performed with the glove, with only one patient not benefiting due to severe edema. Improvements varied according to the type of task: lifting a 5 kg bag had the highest success rate, with 92% of patients improving, followed by holding a cup (81%), holding a ball (78%), drawing with a pen (71%), pressing a button (63%), and holding a sheet of paper (58%). These results indicate that the glove is particularly effective for power tasks, while precision tasks may require functional refinements or additional training in advanced features. The glove proved easy to use and, after brief instruction, enabled participants to perform grasping tasks that had previously been impossible, with no incidents or risks identified.
In the future, it will be necessary to refine patient selection criteria, considering factors such as hand–glove size compatibility, in order to maximize clinical benefit. Training should be tailored to each user until they feel confident, with verbal guidance from the clinical team potentially enhancing results. Pathology-specific trials will be required, as the small number of participants in each clinical group limited the differential analyses in this study. Expanding trials to real-world contexts will be essential to assess long-term adoption, safety, and impact on autonomy and quality of life. If validated in continuous-use studies, this exoskeleton glove could become a reference technology in both assistive and rehabilitative care.
Would you like to know all the details?
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Orthopedic surgery addresses conditions of the musculoskeletal system to alleviate pain, restore function, and enhance the patient’s quality of life. Its success relies on meticulous pre-operative planning that incorporates clinical data and patient-specific imaging to…
Digital Health at the Top of the National Poliempreende 2024 Results
Poliempreende is a consolidated national network for encouraging entrepreneurship in higher education in Portugal, with two decades of existence. Focused on promoting innovation, the competition has had a significant impact on the national economy, with…
Digital Solution Facilitates Interaction Between Users and Health Professionals
Many patients face difficulties scheduling medical appointments in hospital units, and, when successful, they often endure long waiting times to be attended. This situation is aggravated by problems such as the incompatibility of schedules between…
The Impact of Calm Computing Integration on the Clinical Process
In recent years, digital transformation in healthcare has played a crucial role, driven by the exponential increase in medical data. This ranges from administrative information to detailed records of diagnoses, laboratory tests, medical images and…
ULS Almada-Seixal Revolutionizes With the Region’s First Surgical Robot
In recent years, ULSAS has been gradually implementing robotic systems, reinforcing its commitment to innovation and improving healthcare. Recently, the institution acquired a state-of-the-art robotic system, developed under the concept of an ‘immersive intuitive interface’,…
Online Intervention Aims to Prevent Anxiety in the General Population
Anxiety disorders are a global problem, affecting 300 million people worldwide and placing significant pressure on individuals and healthcare systems. In Europe alone, the economic impact reached 74.380 million in 2010, with 62.2% attributed to…
Rehabilitation of Facial Paralysis Through Virtual Assistants
Facial paralysis, defined by the inability to move one or both sides of the face, has an incidence of 20 to 30 cases per 100,000 people annually. This condition often causes facial weakness, difficulties in…
Detection of Anxiety and Panic Attacks in Real Time
The growing number of people with anxiety disorders, along with increased awareness of mental health, drives the need for new technological tools that provide remote and continuous monitoring of anxiety and panic disorders. Thus, the…
A Novel Approach for Robotic-assisted Tele-echography
Currently, robotic systems for ultrasound diagnostic procedures fall into two main categories: portable robots that require manual positioning and fully autonomous robotic systems that independently control the ultrasound probe’s orientation and positioning. Portable robots rely…
From Big Data to Big Decisions: How AI Stratifies Cancer Cases by Risk Factors
The CLARIFY Decision Support Platform (DSP) is a responsive web application designed to support decision-making in cancer care through real-time data integration and predictive analytics. Built on Big Data Europe, the platform integrates a variety…
From “Free Text” to Structured Clinical Data: the Foundation for Clinical Decision Support Systems
Currently, the practice of recording clinical information in “free text” offers flexibility, but hinders automatic data extraction, limiting the application of analytical models. Most records are unstructured, and the use of non-standard abbreviations increases ambiguity,…
Artificial Intelligence used in Depression Detection in Cancer Survivors
The goal of the FAITH project (Federated Artificial Intelligence solution for moniToring mental Health status after cancer treatment) is to remotely identify and predict depressive symptoms in cancer survivors using a federated machine learning approach…
Integration of SONHO v2 and SClínico Systems at ULS of Coimbra to Improve Healthcare Services
With more than half a million hospital medical consultations carried out in the first half of 2024, the ULS of Coimbra stands out as an institution dedicated to integrated, high-quality and patient-centered healthcare, with 8…
Elderly Care Ecosystem: an Innovative Platform for Personalized and Efficient Services
The Elderly Care Ecosystem (ECE) is an integration of various digital health technologies, exploring the areas of telehealth and predictive analytics. The goal of this ecosystem is to improve the quality of life for elderly…
Innovative technology that subconsciously relieves anxiety through a scarf
The SCAARF technology aims to offer an alternative method to alleviate anxiety symptoms in a non-intrusive and subconscious way. This technology is an innovative idea in the field of digital health and wearable technology, designed…
Digital Health Interventions: Equity in Hypertension Care for Everyone
Nearly half of all adults in the United States have hypertension, one of the leading risk factors for cardiovascular disease, and only about a quarter (24%) of those people have their hypertension under control. Studies…
Personalization and Technology in Diabetes Management
IPDM has significant potential to improve diabetes management and drive health system reforms to become high-performing, effective, equitable, accessible, and sustainable. Evidence and good practices inspire health system transformation. Adopting person-centred approaches like co-creation and…
Negotiations on the European Health Data Space Advance With the Participation of the SPMS
The European Health Data Space will be a common health data sharing system across the European Union. It foresees the use of data for purposes that benefit people and society. It will ensure citizens have…
Secretary of State Margarida Tavares Emphasizes Digital Innovation in Health Promotion
Margarida Tavares spoke at the opening of the conference ” O Digital na promoção contínua da saúde e do bem-estar”, organized by the Associação para a Promoção e Desenvolvimento da Sociedade da Informação (APDSI) and…
ARS Algarve Modernizes Radiology With AI and New Data Center
The radiology service of ARS Algarve has already performed nearly 29,000 exams using Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology. In recent years, there has been a significant investment in image digitization and data storage, as well as…
European Health Data Space: Unified Access To Health Data In The EU
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of digital services in health, but complex rules and increasing cyberattacks make it difficult to share data across Member States; the EHDS, based on several regulations, provides tailor-made rules…
European Commission Amends Digital Europe Programme With an Investment of €762.7 Million
The European Commission has amended the Digital Europe Programme work programmes 2023-2024, investing an additional €762.7 million in Europe’s digital transition and cybersecurity. The digital transition is the main work programme with a budget of…
SPMS Integrates the TEF-Health Initiative
SPMS participates in the TEF-Health initiative as a partner in a consortium composed of 51 entities from 9 European Union countries. This action is co-financed by the European Commission and has a duration of five…
FMUP Creates Inhealth Junior Academy for High School Students
The InHealth Junior Academy — Academia Júnior de Inovação em Saúde is an initiative of the Departamento de Medicina da Comunidade, Informação e Decisão em Saúde da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto (FMUP)….
SPMS Represents Portugal as Vice-president of GDHP
The GDHP is an intergovernmental organization in the digital health sector that facilitates cooperation and collaboration between government representatives and the World Health Organization (WHO). Its purpose is to foster policymaking that promote the digitalization…
Digital Transformation of Health at INCoDe.2030 in Tomar
The “National Digital Skills Initiative e.2030, Portugal” (INCoDe.2030) is an initiative that aims to improve the Portuguese population’s level of digital skills, placing Portugal at the level of the most advanced European countries in this…
Braga Hospital Evaluates Memory With Interactive Game in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple Sclerosis is known as a chronic disease of the central nervous system, with a wide variety of motor and sensory symptoms that can lead to work disability, socioeconomic burden, and reduced quality of life…
Neurosurgery Teleconsultation Wins Innovation Award
The aim of the BI Award for Innovation in Healthcare is to recognize innovative projects in the healthcare sector that improve the quality of life for the Portuguese people. In 2021, the specific theme was…
HealthData@PT: New SPMS Initiative for Health Data
Action HealthData@PT is launched in the context of the implementation of the European Health Data Space, and is an initiative approved by the European Commission under the EU4Health 2021-2027 programme. This initiative contributes to the…
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