An ErgoStroke Home Healthcare Management System with Gesture-Based Communication and Vital Sign Tracking for Stroke Patients

Abstract

Providing optimal care for homebound stroke patients remains a significant challenge due to limited mobility and substantial communication barriers. This project presents the enhanced ErgoStroke system, an ergonomic, wearable healthcare solution designed to facilitate patient-caregiver communication and real-time health monitoring. The system utilises customised finger gloves integrated with biomedical sensors to track vital signs, including oxygen saturation, heart rate, and body temperature. A primary innovation of this redesign is the implementation of a dual-mode feedback mechanism: a speaker module provides auditory confirmation of recognised gestures, while an LCD screen ensures visual request identification in quiet environments. Data management is facilitated through an ESP32-based web dashboard developed with Bootstrap, enabling caregivers to visualise real-time data and review historical health trends. Usability testing conducted with a stroke patient demonstrated high system accuracy, ease of use, and a marked improvement in caregiver response times. However, technical evaluations identified hardware instabilities related to portable jumper cables and ESP32 port conflicts. To ensure consistent performance and commercial viability, the study recommends the development of a dedicated Printed Circuit Board (PCB). Ultimately, ErgoStroke offers a comprehensive and reliable solution that empowers patients, reduces caregiver burden, and enhances the quality of long-term home-based healthcare.