Analysis of Thumb and Index Finger Joints During Pinching Motion and Writing a Cross, as Measured by Electrogoniometers

Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics

Sebastian

Ben-Tzvi

2018

This paper presents the design and integration of a two-digit robotic exoskeleton glove mechanism. The proposed glove is designed to assist the user with grasping motions, such as the pincer grasp, while maintaining a natural coupling relationship among the finger and thumb joints, resembling that of a normal human hand. The design employs single degree-of-freedom (DOF) linkage mechanisms to achieve active flexion and extension of the index finger and thumb. This greatly reduces the overall weight and size of the system making it ideal for prolonged usage. The paper describes the design, mathematical modeling of the proposed system, detailed electromechanical design, and software architecture of the integrated prototype. The prototype is capable of recording information about the index finger and thumb movements, interaction forces exerted by the finger/thumb on the exoskeleton, and can provide feedback through vibration. In addition, the glove can serve as a standalone device for rehabilitation purposes, such as assisting in achieving tip or pulp pinch. The paper concludes with an experimental validation of the proposed design by comparing the motion produced using the exoskeleton glove on a wooden mannequin with that of a natural human hand.

Section: Mechanical Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Mechanical Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To verify the coupling relationships of the joints, the results were compared to the targeted natural angles from Ref. [30], which were previously mentioned in Sec. 2.…”

Section: Experimental Validationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Experimental Validationmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Two-Digit Robotic Exoskeleton Glove Mechanism: Design and Integration

Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics

Sebastian

Ben-Tzvi

2018

A General Purpose Robotic Hand Exoskeleton With Series Elastic Actuation

Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics

Sebastian

Chauhan

et al. 2019

This paper describes the design and control of a novel hand exoskeleton. A subcategory of upper extremity exoskeletons, hand exoskeletons have promising applications in healthcare services, industrial workplaces, virtual reality, and military. Although much progress has been made in this field, most of the existing systems are position controlled and face several design challenges, including achieving minimal size and weight, difficulty enforcing natural grasping motions, exerting sufficient grip strength, ensuring the safety of the users hand, and maintaining overall user friendliness. To address these issues, this paper proposes a novel, slim, lightweight linkage mechanism design for a hand exoskeleton with a force control paradigm enabled via a compact series elastic actuator. A detailed design overview of the proposed mechanism is provided, along with kinematic and static analyses. To validate the overall proposed hand exoskeleton system, a fully integrated prototype is developed and tested in a series of experimental trials.

Design and Integration of a Two-Digit Exoskeleton Glove

Volume 5A: 41st Mechanisms and Robotics Conference

Sebastain

Ben-Tzvi

2017

This paper presents the design and integration of a two-digit exoskeleton glove. The proposed glove is designed to assist the user with grasping motions, such as the pincer grasp, while maintaining a natural coupling relationship among the finger and thumb joints, resembling that of a normal human hand. The design employs single degree of freedom linkage mechanisms to achieve active flexion and extension of the index finger and thumb. This greatly reduces the overall weight and size of the system making it ideal for prolonged usage. The paper describes the design, mathematical modeling of the proposed system, detailed electromechanical design, and software architecture of the integrated prototype. The prototype is capable of recording information about the index finger and thumb movements, interaction forces exerted by the finger/thumb on the exoskeleton, and can provide feedback through vibration. In addition, the glove can serve as a standalone device for rehabilitation purposes, such as assisting in achieving tip or pulp pinch. The paper concludes with an experimental validation of the proposed design by comparing the motion produced using the exoskeleton glove on a wooden mannequin with that of a natural human hand.