HARI: The Hand-Arm Rehabilitation Interface for Training the Hand following Paralysis

This project will complete development of the Hand Arm Rehabilitation Interface, (HARI) and test its efficacy with 24 stroke subjects. HARI is a revolutionary training tool that helps therapists and their clients rehabilitate the paralytic arm by facilitating and monitoring prescribed exercises, and simultaneously assessing progress. HARI supports the arm while prompting the user to make task-oriented movements, and displaying his muscular effort and movements. The biofeedback and record keeping have proven valuable to stroke subjects and their therapists.HARI addresses an urgent need of the stroke population for a practical arm rehabilitator, focusing on neural motor recovery for shoulder, elbow, and hand control. HARI has broad applicability to arm and hand re-training. It is adapted from technology that has been developed and patented by Nian-Crae, Inc. for restoring hand dexterity.