Design of Stacked PVC Gel Actuators-based Active Absorber for Finger Tremor Suppression

Tremor, a widespread neurological disorder impacting individuals of various ages, can greatly hinder their quality of life and occupational functioning [1]. Wear- able medical devices for suppressing tremors, typically low-frequency vibrations ranging between 3 and 12 Hz, are gaining popularity since active vibration absorbers integrated into such devices have demonstrated im- mediate efficacy and noninvasive nature [2]. However, there are challenges in miniaturizing active absorbers for wearable applications with traditional actuators [3]. To address this problem, here we present a light wearable active finger tremor-suppressing orthosis that consists of a stacked polyvinyl chloride (PVC) gel actuator-based absorber, an inertial measurement unit (IMU), and a force sensor. This allows the system to simultaneously detect tremors and trigger the absorber to suppress vi- brations, regardless of whether the fingertip is vibrating in the air or applying tremor force while in contact with an object. This innovative wearable finger tremor absorption system has the potential to stabilize fingers in various applications of daily life (Fig. 1).