Emovo Assist Hand Exoskeleton

Published , Updated , by Wayne Williams in Category: Assistive Robotic Glove, Mobility
Emovo Assist Feature Image

Emovo Assist is a hand exoskeleton designed by Emovo Care to help those with mild or partial weakness on one side of the body.

What’s On This Page?

A Quick Look at Emovo Assist

Emovo Assist is still in its trial phase. It is similar to the Tenoexo Hand Exoskeleton in that they are both hand exoskeletons as compared to gloves. And it is similar to the Neomano Glove in that they both rely on simple push-button control systems, though the Emovo does actively open digits as well as close them. By comparison, Neomano only actively assists with finger closure (but not the thumb), relying on users to simply relax their fingers to help release a grasped object.

The following video provides a good overview of Emovo Assist:

We describe individual features in the relevant sections below.

Key Features

Grip Patterns & Control System

As mentioned, Emovo Assist is controlled by simple open and close buttons, though a mobile phone app can be used in place of an actual button controller.

There do not appear to be any grip pattern options. The way that the Emovo opens or closes is dictated solely by whether or not an artificial tendon is present for the digit in question. For example, if artificial tendons are present only for the thumb and forefinger, then Emovo will only help open/close those two digits. Whether other digits also open and close depends entirely on natural control.

Proportional Force

Emovo does not currently appear to support the use of proportional force. When a digit opens or closes, it does so at a predetermined speed.

Sensory Feedback

Emovo does not offer sensory feedback because the natural hand remains intact and usually provides adequate sensory feedback on its own.

Size & Weight

We do not yet have any information on Emovo’s weight or dimensions. We have submitted this question to the manufacturer and will update this section as soon as we receive a reply.

Lift Capacity & Grip Strength

We do not yet have any information on Emovo’s lift capacity or grip strength. We have submitted this question to the manufacturer and will update this section as soon as we receive a reply.

Durability

We do not yet have any information on Emovo’s durability. Normally, we rely on the results of our User Satisfaction Surveys to gauge durability. Absent that, we refer to the terms of the warranty. But since Emovo has not yet been released commercially, neither of these information sources is available to us.

Water and Dust Resistance

Emovo houses all of its electronic components in a control unit, which is separate from the hand module. The hand module consists of only cloth and waterproof tendons, so it can safely be used in wet environments.

We do not yet have an official statement on dust resistance, though we suspect that the hand module is fully dust resistant due to the material used in its construction.

Glove Options

Emovo’s hand module already consists of a glove that is used to anchor the artificial tendons at various points.

We have asked the company if it is possible (or advisable) to wear a glove over the exoskeleton. We will update this section as soon as we receive a reply.

Batteries

We do not yet have any information on the type of batteries used to power Emovo, how long their charge lasts, or how long it takes to recharge them. We have submitted these questions to the company and will update this section as soon as we receive a reply.

User Software

We do know that users can use a smartphone to control Emovo instead of a physical push-button controller. But we do not know if the phone app has any other capabilities. We have submitted this question to the company and will update this section as soon as we receive a reply.

Price

We do not yet have a price for Emovo. We have submitted this question to the company and will update this section as soon as we receive a reply.

For a complete list of prices for other assistive robotic gloves, please see our Assistive Robotic Glove Price List.

Availability

As Emovo is still a prototype, we do not yet have any information on its official launch date or its geographic availability at launch. We have submitted these questions to the company and will update this section as soon as we receive a reply.

Warranty

We do not yet know the terms of Emovo’s warranty or its options, if any. We have submitted this question to the company and will update this section as soon as we receive a reply.

User Feedback Survey & Results

Survey

We have not yet created a survey for the Emovo and won’t do so until it is released commercially.

Results

Without a survey, there are of course no survey results.

However, we did find this video, which captures the initial impact of the Emovo prototype on some of the trial patients:

Considerations Before Buying Emovo Assist

We don’t have any opinion of Emovo Assist at this time, though the main consideration when it’s released commercially will be the absence of a track record with consumers.

To have a better understanding of the company’s current status, see this video from December 2021:

For a list of competitor devices, see current options for assistive robotic gloves.

For a comprehensive description of all assistive robotic glove technologies, devices, and research, see our complete guide.

Click here for more information on Emovo Care.