Biomechanical effect of soft robotic glove on golf-swing speed: A preliminary case study focusing on post-stroke hand weakness

Abstract

In recent years, soft robot gloves have been introduced as self-help devices for reinforcing grip strength in daily life, such as for stroke patients, and may be effective in sports such as golf. The biomechanics of golf swings have been researched previously. Support for golfers with disabilities remains poorly documented with existing studies focusing on athletes. This study presents kinematic data for the use of a soft robot glove on one hand in a golf swing performed with a seven-iron assuming recreational golf for a disabled person with post-stroke left hemiplegia. Two healthy right-handed men with no golf experience volunteered for participation, and a Vicon motion capture system with two force plates, one for each foot, recorded kinematic data. The launch marker recorded the club head speed, while the horizontal foot distance and vertical floor reaction forces were extracted at the impact phase. Swings with a soft robotic glove on the left hand showed a significantly increased head speed and floor reaction force of the pivot foot at the impact phase. Wearing a soft robotic glove also reduced hand muscle fatigue (Borg CR-10 scale 4 to 2 or 3) while maintaining good swings. In addition, measurements using a simulator showed that swinging with a soft robotic glove on the left hand significantly improved head speed and estimated distance in left hemiplegic patients after stroke (male, right-handed, Brunnstrom stage upper limb V, finger IV). In conclusion, the soft robotic glove can be an effective grip-assisted device for hemiplegic golfers and should be investigated in future case series studies.