A Fabricated Force Glove That Measures Hand Forces during Activities of Daily Living

Understanding hand and wrist forces during activities of daily living (ADLs) are pertinent when modeling prosthetics/orthotics, preventing workplace-related injuries, and understanding movement patterns that make athletes, dancers, and musicians elite. The small size of the wrist, fingers, and numerous joints creates obstacles in accurately measuring these forces. In this study, 14 FlexiForce sensors were sewn into a glove in an attempt to capture forces applied by the fingers. Participants in this study wore the glove and performed grasp and key turn activities. The maximal forces produced in the study were 9 N at the distal middle finger phalanx and 24 N at the distal thumb phalanx, respectively, for the grasp and key turn activities. Results from this study will help in determining the minimal forces of the hand during ADLs so that appropriate actuators may be placed at the appropriate joints in exoskeletons, orthotics, and prosthetics.

Automated summary

Understanding hand and wrist forces is crucial for modeling prosthetics/orthotics, preventing workplace injuries, and understanding elite movement patterns. However, accurately measuring these forces is challenging due to the small size and numerous joints in the hand. This study used FlexiForce sensors sewn into a glove to capture finger forces during grasp and key turn activities. The results showed maximal forces of 9N and 24N at the distal middle finger phalanx and distal thumb phalanx, respectively. These findings will inform the design of appropriate actuators in exoskeletons, orthotics, and prosthetics to replicate hand forces during activities of daily living.