TABLE 1.

Characteristics of hand exoskeletons.

Developer	Force transmission	Weight	Fingers	Joints/DOF	Thumb	Compliance to finger joint	ROM	Sensor
N.S.K. Ho et al.	Linkages and linear actuator	Exoskeleton 500 g	4	MCP and PIP/ 2	No	Yes, finger joints moved along the circular slide	MCP-55°, PIP-65°	EMG
Andreas Wege et al.	Linkages, cables and DC motor	n/a	4	MCP, DIP and PIP/ 4	No	No	Ab/Ad: MCP −20∼20°, Fl/Ex: MCP −10∼90°, PIP 0∼90°, DIP 0∼45°	Hall sensors, quadrature encoders, motor currents, and force sensors
Duojin Wang et al.	Linkages and motor	n/a	5	MCP and PIP/ 2	Yes	Yes, rigid linkage structure coincides with rotation axis	MCP-65°, PIP-65°	EMG
Evan A Susanto et al.	Linkages and linear actuator	Exoskeleton 489 g	5	MCP and PIP/ 2	Yes	Yes, finger joints moved along the circular slide	MCP-55°, PIP-65°	EMG, 9 full-bridge strain-gauges,and sliding potentiometers
B B Kang et al.	Cable and motor	Exo-Glove Poly I: actuator 1.63 kg; Exo-Glove Poly II glove 104 g and actuation 1.14 kg	3	MCP, PIP, DIP/ 3	Yes	Yes	n/a	EMG, a bending sensor, and a mat-type pressure sensor
Sung-Sik Yun et al.	Actuator modules and three air pumps	Total 600 g (350 g without its case)	3	MCP, PIP, DIP/ 3	Yes	Yes	n/a	n/a
Tobias Butzer et al.	Two DC motors, cable and three layered sliding spring mechanism	Glove 148 g/ Total 640 g	5	MCP, PIP, DIP, CMC/ 4	Yes	Yes	Fl/Ex: finger −15°∼ 90°, thumb −10°∼ 45°, Ab/Ad: finger 0∼20°	Bending angle sensor
Yangwei Wang et al.	SMA wire and pulley mechanism	n/a	5	MCP, PIP, DIP/ 3	Yes	Yes	MCP 45°, PIP 62°, DIP 71°	Pressure sensor

DOF, degree of freedom; ROM, range of motion; MCP, metacarpophalangeal joint; PIP, interphalangeal joint; DIP, distal interphalangeal joints; CMC, carpometacarpal joint; EMG, electromyograph; Ab, abduction; Ad, adduction; Fl, flexion; Ex, extension.