• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.155-161
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• 2017

This paper presents a new nonmechanical rehabilitation system driven by magnetic force. Typically, finger rehabilitation mechanisms are complex mechanical systems. The proposed method allows wireless operation, a simple configuration, and easy installation on the hand for active actuation by magnetic force. The system consists of a driving coil, driving magnets (M1), and auxiliary magnets (M2 and M3), respectively, at the finger, palm, and the center of coil. The magnets and the driving coil produce three magnetic forces for an active motions of the finger. During active actuations, magnetic attractive forces between M1 and M2 or between M1 and M3 enhance the flexion/extension motions. The proposed system simply improves the extension motion of the finger using a magnetic system. In this system, the maximum force and angular variation of the extension motion were 0.438 N and $49^{\circ}$, respectively. We analyzed the magnetic interaction in the system and verified finger's active actuation.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.484-489
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• 2011

Some patients can't use their hands because of inherent and acquired paralysis of their fingers. Their fingers can recover with rehabilitative training, and the extent of rehabilitation can be judged by grasping a cylindrical-object with their fingers. At present, the cylindrical-object used in hospitals is only a cylinder which cannot measure grasping force of the fingers. Therefore, doctors must judge the extent of rehabilitation by watching patients' fingers as they grasp the cylinder. A cylindrical-type finger force measuring system which can measure the grasping force of patients' fingers should be developed. This paper looks at the development of a cylindrical-type finger force measuring system with two-axis force/moment sensor which can measure grasping force. The two-axis force/moment sensor was designed and fabricated, and the high-speed force measuring device was designed and manufactured by using DSP (digital signal processing). Also, cylindrical-type finger force measuring system was developed using the developed two-axis force/moment sensor and the high-speed force measuring device, and the grasping force tests of men were performed using the developed system. The tests confirm that the average finger forces of right and left hands for men were about 186N and 172N respectively.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.127-134
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• 2012

Stroke patients must do the rehabilitation exercise to recover their fingers' function using a rehabilitation robot. But the rehabilitation robots mostly have not the force sensors to control the applied force to each finger. Thus, in this paper, the development of a force sensor for thumb rehabilitation robot and four two-axis force sensors for four-finger rehabilitation robot were developed. The force sensor and four two-axis force sensors could be used to measure the applied force to each finger, and the forces could be used to control the applied forces to each sensor in rehabilitation exercise using in the rehabilitation robot. The developed sensors have non-linearlity error of less than 0.05 %, repeatability error of less than 0.03 %, and the interference error of two-axis force sensor is less than 0.2 %.

• Proceedings of the Safety Management and Science Conference
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• 2002.05a
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• pp.31-36
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• 2002

In this paper, we developed a working adaptation evaluation system using finger force measurement which interact between material and biological system. The system consists of a finger force transducer, a signal conditioner, an A/D converter, a computer, and a software system for data processing. The finger force transducer is made by a load cell and a special mechanism. The data processing software controls the A/D converter, data monitoring, and data analysis for group classification. The developed system were tested by 4 different materials in left hand and the finger forte transducer in the other hand's thumb and index finger with 16 persons. As the results of experiments, the developed system could measure the finger force quantitatively and classify the measured values into four groups.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.361-370
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• 2016

Objective:The aim of this study is to evaluate contributions of individual finger forces associated with various levels of submaximal voluntary contraction tasks. Background: Although many researches for individual finger force have been conducted, most of the studies mainly focus on the maximal voluntary contraction. However, Information concerning individual finger forces during submaximal voluntary contraction is also very important for developing biomechanical models and for designing hand tools, work equipment, hand prostheses and robotic hands. Due to these reasons, studies on the contribution of individual finger force in submaximal grip force exertions should be fully considered. Method: A total of 60 healthy adults without any musculoskeletal disorders in the upper arms participated in this study. The young group (mean: 23.7 yrs) consisted of 30 healthy adults (15 males and 15 females), and the elderly group (mean: 75.2 yrs) was also composed of 30 participants (15 males and 15 females). A multi-Finger Force Measurement (MFFM) System developed by Kim and Kong (2008) was applied in order to measure total grip strength and individual finger forces. The participants were asked to exert a grip force attempting to minimize the difference between the target force and their exerted force for eight different target forces (5, 15, 25, 35, 45, 55, 65, and 75% MVCs). These target forces based on the maximum voluntary contraction, which were obtained from each participant, were randomly assigned in this study. Results: The contributions of middle and ring fingers to the total grip force represented an increasing trend as the target force level increased. On the other hand, the contributions of index and little fingers showed a decreasing trend as the target force level increased. In particular, Index finger exerted the largest contribution to the total grip force, followed by middle, ring and little fingers in the case of the smallest target force level (5% MVC), whereas middle finger showed the largest contribution, followed by ring, index and little fingers at the largest target force levels (65 and 75% MVCs). Conclusion: Each individual finger showed a different contribution pattern to the grip force exertion. As the target force level increase from 5 to 75% MVC, the contributions of middle and ring fingers showed an increasing trend, whereas the contributions of index and little fingers represented a decreasing trend in this study. Application: The results of this study can be useful information when designing robotic hands, hand tools and work equipment. Such information would be also useful when abnormal hand functions are evaluated.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.175-176
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• 2007

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.110-115
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• 2016

This paper describes the design and fabrication of a three-axis force sensor with three parallel plate structures(PPSs) for measuring force in a finger force measuring system for a spherical object catch. The three-axis force sensor is composed of a Fx force sensor, Fy force sensor and a Fz force sensor, and the elements of Fx force sensor and Fy force sensor are a parallel plate structure(PPS) respectively and Fz force sensor is two PPS. The three-axis force sensor was designed using FEM(Finite Element Method), and manufactured using strain-gages. The characteristics test of the three-axis force sensor was carried out. As a test results, the interference error of the three-axis force sensor was less than 1.32%, the repeatability error of each sensor was less than 0.04%, and the non-linearity was less than 0.04%.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.758-763
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• 2003

This paper describes the development of a 6-axis robot's finger force/moment sensor, which measures forces Fx, Fy, Fz, and moments Mx, My, Mz simultaneously, for making a robot's gripper. In order to safely grasp and unknown object using the robot's gripper, it should measure the force in the gripping direction and the force in the gravity direction, and perform the force control using the measured forces. Thus, the robot's gripper should be composed of 6-axis robot's finger force/moment sensor that can measure forces Fx, Fy, Fz, and moments Mx, My, Mz simultaneously. In this paper, the 6-axis robot's finger force/moment sensor for measuring forces Fx, Fy, Fz, and moments Mx, My, Mz simultaneously was newly modeled using several parallel-plate beams, designed, and fabricated. The characteristic test of made sensor was performed. Also, Robot's gripper with the 6-axis robot's finger force/moment sensor for the characteristic test of force control was manufactured, and the characteristic test for grasping an unknown object was performed using it.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.1-6
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• 2008

Individual finger/total grip forces, and subjective preferences for various individual finger grip spans (i.e., four fingers had identical grip spans or different grip spans) were evaluated by using an "Adjustable Multi-Finger Force Measurement (MFFM) System". In this study, three grip spans were defined as follows: a 'favorite grip span' which is the span with the highest subjective preference; a 'maximum grip span' which is the span with the highest total grip force; a 'maximum finger grip span' which is a set of four grip spans that had maximum finger grip forces associated with the index, middle, ring, and little fingers, respectively. Ten males were recruited from university population for this study. In experiment I, each participant tested the maximum grip force with five grip spans (45 to 65mm) to investigate grip forces and subjective preferences for three types of grip spans. Results showed that subjective preferences for grip spans were not coincidence with the performance of total grip forces. It was noted that the 'favorite grip span' represented the lowest total grip force, whereas the 'maximum finger grip span' showed the lowest subjective preferences. The individual finger forces and the average percentage contribution to the total finger force were also investigated in this study. The findings of this study might be valuable information for designing ergonomics hand-tools to reduce finger/hand stress as well as to improve tool users' preferences and performance.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2002.05a
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• pp.229-232
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• 2002

This paper describes the development of robot's finger 3-axis force sensor that detects the Fx, Fy, and Fz simultaneously fur stably grasping an unknown object. In order to safely grasp an unknown object using the robot's fingers, they should detect the force of gripping direction and the force of gravity direction, and perform the force control using the detected farces. The 3-axis force sensor that detects the Fx, Fy, and Fz simultaneously should be used for accurately detecting the weight of an unknown object of gravity direction. Thus, in this paper, robot's finger for stably grasping an unknown object is developed. And, the 3-axis farce sensor that detects the Fx, Fy, and Fz simultaneously fur constructing a robot's finger is newly modeled using several parallel-plate beams, and is fabricated. Also, it is calibrated, and evaluated.