'Smart glove' developed at UBC aims to aid stroke recovery
Recovering from a stroke can be a long journey.
Just ask Derick Sinclair.
He's been trying everything possible since his stroke more than a decade ago to regain maximum mobility and strength on his left side.
Sinclair is among a group of stroke survivors trying out a new “smart glove” at the G.F. Strong Rehabilitation Centre.
The glove tracks hand and finger movements, information that can then be used to identify where Sinclair needs to focus his exercise.
The glove is being developed at the University of British Columbia in partnership with Vancouver startup Texavie.
"Many of these patients require frequent assessment of their movements,” said Dr. Peyman Servati, Texavie’s CEO and a UBC professor, in an interview with CTV News.
“We need to see how well they're moving and then they need to modify for example their exercises and routine to get the best rehab and recovery.”
The glove also takes advantage of artificial intelligence to help capture movement.
"It has machine learning all embedded within the software to recognize the movement,” explained Dr. Janice Eng, a leading stroke rehabilitation specialist at UBC, who also works with Vancouver Coastal Health.
“So that's actually how we know how much the wrist is actually moving, how much the hand is actually opening, is through artificial intelligence. So we are applying those algorithms now.”
The glove has potential for other uses, including in video games and movies.
But for Sinclair, he's hoping that by taking part in this research he helps makes a difference.
“I believe, if you participate in programs like this, it improves the likelihood of finding a solution,” he said. “Maybe not for myself, but for other stroke victims – I call them victims, because a stroke really victimizes your life – to have a better life.”
The findings from research involving the glove were recently published in Nature Machine Intelligence. The glove is not available for general use at this point, but Servati hopes to eventually bring it to the broader consumer market.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
NEW Iconic Canadian song turns 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Prince Harry, Meghan arrive in Nigeria to champion the Invictus Games and meet with wounded soldiers
Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, arrived in Nigeria on Friday to champion the Invictus Games, which he founded to aid the rehabilitation of wounded and sick servicemembers and veterans, among them Nigerian soldiers fighting a 14-year war against Islamic extremists.
Countries struggle to draft 'pandemic treaty' to avoid mistakes made during COVID
After the coronavirus pandemic triggered once-unthinkable lockdowns, upended economies and killed millions, leaders at the World Health Organization and worldwide vowed to do better in the future. Years later, countries are still struggling to come up with an agreed-upon plan for how the world might respond to the next global outbreak.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.