Dataset of Tactile Signatures of the Human Right Hand in Twenty-One Activities of Daily Living Using a High Spatial Resolution Pressure Sensor (original) (raw)

Quantification of hand grasp force using a pressure mapping system

The goal of this study was to use a pressure sensor to measure the force distribution and contact area of the hand when gripping, pushing, and pulling a cylinder. Data was collected from 10 subjects with no hand impairments and from 1 subject with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Subjects grasped an aluminum cylinder wrapped with a Tekscan pressure sensor and performed each trial at 25%, 50%, and 100% maximum voluntary exertion. A relationship was found between increasing exertion and increasing hand area with increasing hand contact area. The force distribution maps showed the thenar region of the hand exerts the most force during pushing while the metacarpal joint line exerts the highest force during pulling. The third and fourth phalange were found to exert the highest phalange force during gripping. The force distribution maps from the RA subject showed higher thumb forces and distal phalange forces, relative to the entire phalange, compared to the non-impaired subjects. This suggests that the RA subject compensates for the lack of phalange function with the regions of the hand that still function. Future studies should sample individuals with a larger hand area range and sample more individuals with RA.

Pressure Sensor: State of the Art, Design, and Application for Robotic Hand

We survey the state of the art in a variety of force sensors for designing and application of robotic hand. Most of the force sensors are examined based on tactile sensing. For a decade, many papers have widely discussed various sensor technologies and transducer methods which are based on microelectromechanical system (MEMS) and silicon used for improving the accuracy and performance measurement of tactile sensing capabilities especially for robotic hand applications. We found that transducers and materials such as piezoresistive and polymer, respectively, are used in order to improve the sensing sensitivity for grasping mechanisms in future. This predicted growth in such applications will explode into high risk tasks which requires very precise purposes. It shows considerable potential and significant levels of research attention.

A bio-inspired approach for the design and characterization of a tactile sensory system for a cybernetic prosthetic hand

2006

Recent research in prosthetic hands aims at developing innovative cybernetic systems able to allow users to feel an artificial hand as part of their bodies by providing the tactile sensation of a natural hand. Such prostheses must be endowed with artificial proprioceptive and exteroceptive sensory systems as well as appropriate neural interfaces able to exchange sensorymotor signals between the body and the nervous system of an amputee. Based on consideration of available neurophysiological and behavioral data in humans and on the specific sensory needs to control a prototypical grasp-and-lift task, two kinds of sensors were developed: on-off contact sensor arrays and triaxial force sensors. Both sensor types were characterized and compared with their biological counterparts. Their ability to convey critical information during a lift task was evaluated with the sensors integrated in a biomechatronic cybernetic hand.

Bio-inspired approach for the design and characterization of a tactile sensory system for a cybernetic prosthetic hand

2006

Recent research in prosthetic hands aims at developing innovative cybernetic systems able to allow users to feel an artificial hand as part of their bodies by providing the tactile sensation of a natural hand. Such prostheses must be endowed with artificial proprioceptive and exteroceptive sensory systems as well as appropriate neural interfaces able to exchange sensorymotor signals between the body and the nervous system of an amputee. Based on consideration of available neurophysiological and behavioral data in humans and on the specific sensory needs to control a prototypical grasp-and-lift task, two kinds of sensors were developed: on-off contact sensor arrays and triaxial force sensors. Both sensor types were characterized and compared with their biological counterparts. Their ability to convey critical information during a lift task was evaluated with the sensors integrated in a biomechatronic cybernetic hand.

Spatio-Temporal Human Grip Force Analysis via Sensor Arrays

Sensors, 2009

This study describes a technique for measuring human grip forces exerted on a cylindrical object via a sensor array. Standardised resistor-based pressure sensor arrays for industrial and medical applications have been available for some time. We used a special 20 mm diameter grip rod that subjects could either move actively with their fingers in the horizontal direction or exert reactive forces against opposing forces generated in the rod by a linear motor. The sensor array film was attached to the rod by adhesive tape and covered approximately 45 cm 2 of the rod surface. The sensor density was 4/cm 2 with each sensor having a force resolution of 0.1 N. A scan across all sensors resulted in a corresponding frame containing force values at a frame repetition rate of 150/s. The force value of a given sensor was interpreted as a pixel value resulting in a false-colour image. Based on remote sensed image analysis an algorithm was developed to distinguish significant forcerepresenting pixels from those affected by noise. This allowed tracking of the position of identified fingers in subsequent frames such that spatio-temporal grip force profiles for individual fingers could be derived. Moreover, the algorithm allowed simultaneous measurement of forces exerted without any constraints on the number of fingers or on the position of the fingers. The system is thus well suited for basic and clinical research in human physiology as well as for studies in psychophysics.

Acquisition and Application of a Tactile Database

Proceedings 2007 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, 2007

We present a database of 2D pressure profile timeseries as a testbed for tactile object and surface recognition. The tactile database captures the surfaces of household and toy objects by moving a 2D pressure sensor mounted to an industrial robot arm around the objects using real-time trajectory calculation. Thus, it represents different "views" of the objects in a similar way as the well known Columbia Object Image Library (COIL) captures different views of an object by a camera. As a first application, objects in the database are classified using a neural network architecture.

A Tactile Display System for Hand Prostheses to Discriminate Pressure and Individual Finger Localization

No current commercially available myoelectrically controlled prosthetic hands provide conscious sensory feedback to the user. A system aiming at relocation of sensory input from a prosthetic hand equipped with force sensors to the forearm skin of amputees, a tactile display, has been developed and constructed. The system consists of five piezoresistive force sensors or, alternatively, a prosthetic hand equipped with force sensors, five digital servomotors with a lever and a circular plastic disk pushing on the skin, control electronics based on an MSP430 microcontroller and a test application implemented in LabVIEW running on a PC. The tactile display system is intended to be integrated into the socket of a hand prosthesis and used as a conscious sensory feedback system for hand amputees using a myoelectrically controlled hand prosthesis. The system will provide continuous force feedback from sensors in the fingertips of each prosthetic finger and will likely improve the users' ...

Biomimetic tactile sensor for control of grip

…, 2007

We are developing a novel, robust tactile sensor array that mimics the human fingertip and its distributed set of touch receptors. The mechanical components are similar to a fingertip, with a rigid core surrounded by a weakly conductive fluid contained within an elastomeric skin.