



Tailored for professionals such as designers, doctors, and rehabilitation specialists, ArthoGlove serves as a versatile tool for research, user testing, and in-depth exploration of the impact of hand-related conditions on daily life.
As an industrial designer, I considered it crutial to start by analyzing the hand motion of users. However, looking for proper persona to do interview and testing is always hard, either because of the lack of medical knowledge or pool communication skills.
In my first year study in ID department, the final project requires every student to design a tangible product for a marginalized group of people. During the user interview and usability testing processes, we found a difficulty time getting useful data.
So we usually develop a “smart way” to validate our design. I invite people to cover their eyes to mimic customers who have visual impairments.
My classmates also develop various of methods, but we all feel lack of integrity and the final design are ridiculously not user-centered at all.
In the field of multicultural psychology, considering the cognitive processes that shape perceived diversity, design for marginalized people is a type of prejudice to reinforce their stereotypes, especially during the user testing part.
aim to design for inclusivity
look for special groups of people
define pain points superficially
reinforce bias and discrimination
Every product needs the use of hands and designers are highly require on the functionality of their hands. But hand pain is a common problem that lack of consideration.
In 2014, 14.6 million adults reported severe joint pain due to arthritis (NHIS).
By 2040, an estimated 78.4 million (25.9%) US adults aged 18 years or older are projected to have doctor-diagnosed arthritis.
There are many institutions studied on exoskeletons for more advanced rehabiliation or simulation. I researched on academic papers to explore the potential deficiency.
First of all, I found that most of the studies have realized the serious side effect of arthritis on other body parts, which include:
The main deficiencies of hand exoskeleton with five-finger extension and holding assistance in treatment, orthotics, and recovering include:
(i.e. acceptability, adherence, usability, effectiveness) of integrating hand exoskeletons with five-finger extension and grip assistance into therapy programs with in-clinic and at-home components.
(i.e. device-assisted performance) that hand exoskeletons provide during patient-specified goals and functional tasks after continued use.
(i.e. unassisted performance) after using hand exoskeletons during in-clinic and at-home components of rehabilitation programs that incorporate everyday objects.
Highlighting the substantial disparity between the promotional claims and actual user experience of everyday products, I focus on researching user-related issues in the ergonomic aspects of existing daily-use hand-related products.
By interviewing with doctors who worked at orthopedics department before and now worked for Internet medical treatment to bring health care to more rare areas, I got more information about the gap between patients and therapy.
The statistical assurance offered by rehabilitation devices, indicating patients are on the path to recovery, does not necessarily signify a complete return to the pre-existing norm.
The stark gap between medical and non-medical devices, accentuated by certification differences, results in distinct purposes, with medical devices prioritizing safety and efficacy, while non-medical devices focus more on consumer features.
1. Reduced dexterity, limited mobility, and loss of independence
2. Lack of appropriate protection or recovery products
3. Frustration with treatment and related emotional stress
1. Patient compliance and incompatibility
2. Diagnosis uncertainty and different understanding of symptoms
3. The gap between rehab evaluation and actually getting back to routine
1. Data collection challenges
2. Complex to balance the need for rigorous research with ethical considerations
3.Regulatory Compliance
1. Balance of work and caregiving
2. Financial burden and emotional stress
3. Hard to handle overloaded information and negative impact on other family members
To better understand the specific touchpoints from medical exmaination to daily recovery, I summarzie the people, things, and effects from various perspectives for different stakeholders and beneficiers.
I conceptualize the solution in various directions during the exploratory phase of brainstorming and idea development, such as simulating user experience, implementing advanced recording mechanisms, and pioneering innovative designs, with a keen focus on pushing the boundaries of wearable technology in the context of hand joint arthritis simulation.
A product that can quantify pain becomes the best choice by evaluating different designs criteria. Plan A wins.
I carefully planned hardware utilization to closely resemble real-life experiences of hand joint arthritis during the idea revision process, classifying pain according to its intensity, length, and specific symptoms to ensure a more complex and genuine user experience with the glove.
The hardware simply consists by bend sensors, vibration motors, and MG90S micro servo motors. Instead of using Arduino’s modular circuit board, we decided to print by ourselves to save cost.
To make it skin-friendly and avoid the risk of adding other sources of pain, I decided to use 1.5mm thick silica sheet and hook and loop fastener, securing the hardware with stitches.
The collaborative development of the final design is intricately worked with engineers, as our roles serve as the primary customers driving the refinement and optimization of this product.
Code is collaborately written by Xinyu Guo and Kunpeng Liu, powered by Arduino IDE.
I personally tested the gloves, simulating user interactions with a water bottle design, performing actions related to drinking and washing. I then compared observed limitations with data gathered from online patient surveys.
I had individuals with intermittent arthritis wear the gloves to perform daily tasks, including holding a pot, opening heavy doors, twisting towels, and peeling fruits, as part of empirical evaluation.
The success of the physical prototyping and simulation design is affirmed through the comparison of scientific data and real-patient experiences.
Accuracy of Pain Localization
Matches the duration from memory
Pain Intensity Rating
Source of pain
This final iteration is a prototype with preliminary user testing. I aim to enhance it through nuanced data setting adjustments, sensor substitution, rigorous testing, and formalization into an academic report.
I intend to transform the product into an educational and user-testing tool with user-friendly features, enabling non-professionals to choose specific illnesses, access educational materials, and generate comprehensive data reports.
This is the first time I've worked on physical prototyping and coding. By pushing the boundaries of hardware capabilities, our team successfully transformed conceptual ideas into a tangible product, showcasing the potential of sophisticated technology to enhance experiential learning and research in the medical fields.
Considering empathy from a different perspective other than customers provide unique insights. Our empathetic design transcends traditional user empathy by deeply analyzing the intricate relationship between users and the product, recognizing the multifaceted roles they play in the simulation process, and acknowledging the emotional toll their engagement may incur.
The interplay of specialized skills within the team fostered an environment where creativity, problem-solving, and shared commitment flourished, culminating in the successful realization of ArthoGlove. Allowing engineers to understand and participate in concept development process make the project better landing.