Pneumatic soft robotic devices are emerging as promising tools for assisting hand rehabilitation in individuals with post-stroke motor impairment. However, evidence regarding their immediate functional impact remains limited, particularly across different impairment levels. This study presents a pilot validation of the YADV2 pneumatic finger rehabilitation robot and evaluates acute changes in finger range of motion (ROM) and task performance during a single intervention session. Twenty stroke participants were categorized into two groups based on the Fugl-Mayer Hand sub score: severe impairment (FMA-Hand < 10) and mild-to-moderate impairment (FMA-Hand ≥ 10). ROM was measured using integrated bending sensors during voluntary flexion–extension before, during, and after a 10-min pneumatic actuation session. A mixed 2 × 3 repeated-measure ANOVA revealed a significant Group × Time interaction (F (2, 36) = 4. 628, p = 0. 016, partial η2 = 0. 205). In the severe group, ROM increased from 8. 53° to 28. 46° during actuation (p = 0. 002), and partially returned to baseline afterward. In the mild–moderate group, no significant ROM changes were observed; however, cube-transfer time improved significantly (mean improvement: 0. 88 s, p = 0. 039). These findings indicate that pneumatic assistance induces distinct acute effects depending on impairment severity. This study provides preliminary evidence supporting the feasibility of the YADV2 robotic system and highlights the need for multi-session clinical trials to determine therapeutic efficacy.
Kang et al. (Mon,) studied this question.