Purpose: The growing number of patients with hand dysfunction caused by conditions such as stroke has led to increasing demand for soft finger rehabilitation actuators. However, existing devices of this type often face issues such as irregular deformation, insufficient driving force, the inability to achieve segmented control, and poor rigidity retention. Methods: A multi-segment exoskeleton design is proposed, which achieves a functional separation between actuation and load-bearing. Utilizing the principle of virtual work and the Yeoh constitutive model, derive the pressure-to-angle transfer function to facilitate the establishment of the overall equation of motion. Results: The finite element analysis and experimental tests conducted in this study prove that the design prevents irregular deformation, enables segmented control, and maintains high rigidity. Through physical testing, a maximum bending angle of 338.7° and a maximum driving force of 11.50 N were achieved, which is 25.27% higher than the 9.18 N force found in existing studies. Conclusion: The multi-segment reconfigurable soft finger exoskeleton actuator proposed in this study demonstrates significant advantages over conventional devices, with its enhanced bending range and force output facilitating patients’ performance of daily grasping tasks. The segmented control capability enables personalized rehabilitation training targeting specific finger joints. This innovation holds substantial promise for improving hand function recovery in stroke patients. Keywords: soft actuators, flexible materials, exoskeletal structures, virtual work principle
Zhang et al. (Sun,) studied this question.