Claudia Haarman, PhD candidate at the Department of Biomechanical Engineering (University of Twente), and Head of Engineering at Hankamp Rehab, has received funding from the DIH-HERO Technology Demonstrator Call 2021. The aim of DIH-HERO is to stimulate cross-border collaboration among pan-European companies (SME’s and slightly larger companies) which are working in the area of Healthcare Robotics.
During her PhD trajectory (2016-present), Claudia Haarman has developed an affordable robotic hand exoskeleton under supervision of Herman van der Kooij, Hans Rietman and Edsko Hekman. The hand exoskeleton supports the impaired hand function of individuals with spinal cord injury or stroke by actuating the lateral pinch grip. This frequently used grasp allows patients to complete a wide variety of tasks, including picking up and manipulating objects of different sizes and weights.
With the grant of €100k, Hankamp Rehab, together with Roessingh Research and Development, and Pro-Walk GmbH will continue the development of the hand exoskeleton.
