Google Science Fair: A 3D-Printed Exoskeleton That Can Train a Paralyzed Hand to Move Again

Rebuilding fine motor skills after a stroke takes intensive therapy involving repeated attempts to use the affected hand, several times a day, day after day. Some involve moving the affected fingers with the other hand until new brain pathways for hand control develop. Zain Samdani, a 16-year-old from Saudi Arabia and a finalist in the 2016 Google Science Fair demonstrated a different approach at the finalist showcase on Tuesday. Samdani, who says he'd seen family members struggling with hand rehab, built an exoskeleton out of 3D-printed segments. He connected that to a glove, wired to control the robotic device.