KNITDEMA: ROBOTIC TEXTILE AS PERSONALIZED EDEMA MOBILIZATION DEVICE

Hand edema, defined as swelling of the hands caused by excess fluid accumulation, is a pervasive condition affecting a person’s range of motion and functional ability. However, treatment strategies remain limited to time-consuming manual massage by trained therapists, deterring a widely accessible approach. We present KnitDema, a robotic textile device that allows sequential compression from distal to proximal finger phalanges for mobilizing edema. We machine-knit the device and integrate small-scale actuators to envelop granular body locations such as fingers, catering to the shape of the hand. In addition, the device affords customizable compression levels through the enclosed fiber-like actuators. We characterize compression parameters and simulate the shunting of edema through a mock fluid system. Finally, we conduct a case study to evaluate the feasibility of the device, in which five hand edema patients assess KnitDema. Our study provides insights into the opportunities for textile-like robots to support personalized rehabilitation. Publication: KnitDema: Robotic Textile as Personalized Edema Mobilization Device Heather (Jin Hee) Kim, Joan Stilling, Michael O’Dell, Cindy Hsin-Liu Kao Proceedings of Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI) 2023