A Synergy-Based Optimally Designed Sensing Glove for Functional Grasp Recognition.
Achieving accurate and reliable kinematic hand pose reconstructions represents a challenging task. The main reason for this is the complexity of hand biomechanics, where several degrees of freedom are distributed along a continuous deformable structure. Wearable sensing can represent a viable solution to tackle this issue, since it enables a more natural kinematic monitoring. However, the intrinsic accuracy (as well as the number of sensing elements) of wearable hand pose reconstruction (HPR) systems can be severely limited by ergonomics and cost considerations. In this paper, we combined the theoretical foundations of the optimal design of HPR devices based on hand synergy information, i.e., the inter-joint covariation patterns, with textile goniometers based on knitted piezoresistive fabrics (KPF) technology, to develop, for the first time, an optimally-designed under-sensed glove for measuring hand kinematics. We used only five sensors optimally placed on the hand and completed hand pose reconstruction (described according to a kinematic model with 19 degrees of freedom) leveraging upon synergistic information. The reconstructions we obtained from five different subjects were used to implement an unsupervised method for the recognition of eight functional grasps, showing a high degree of accuracy and robustness.
Centro di Ricerca "E. Piaggio", University of Pisa, Largo Lucio Lazzarino 1, Pisa 56126, Italy. simone.ciotti@ing.unipi.it.|Advanced Robotics Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, Genova 16163, Italy. simone.ciotti@ing.unipi.it.
Simone
S
Ciotti
Centro di Ricerca "E. Piaggio", University of Pisa, Largo Lucio Lazzarino 1, Pisa 56126, Italy. e.battaglia@centropiaggio.unipi.it.
Edoardo
E
Battaglia
Centro di Ricerca "E. Piaggio", University of Pisa, Largo Lucio Lazzarino 1, Pisa 56126, Italy. nicola.carbonaro@centropiaggio.unipi.it.
Nicola
N
Carbonaro
Centro di Ricerca "E. Piaggio", University of Pisa, Largo Lucio Lazzarino 1, Pisa 56126, Italy. bicchi@centropiaggio.unipi.it.|Advanced Robotics Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, Genova 16163, Italy. bicchi@centropiaggio.unipi.it.
Antonio
A
Bicchi
Centro di Ricerca "E. Piaggio", University of Pisa, Largo Lucio Lazzarino 1, Pisa 56126, Italy. a.tognetti@centropiaggio.unipi.it.|Information Engineering Department, University of Pisa, via G. Caruso 16, Pisa 56122, Italy. a.tognetti@centropiaggio.unipi.it.
Alessandro
A
Tognetti
Centro di Ricerca "E. Piaggio", University of Pisa, Largo Lucio Lazzarino 1, Pisa 56126, Italy. matteo.bianchi@centropiaggio.unipi.it.|Advanced Robotics Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, Genova 16163, Italy. matteo.bianchi@centropiaggio.unipi.it.
Matteo
M
Bianchi
D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D003020:Clothing; D004867:Equipment Design; D017575:Gloves, Protective; D006225:Hand / Q000502:physiology*; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D000076251:Wearable Electronic Devices
human hand synergies; kinematic wearable sensing; optimal design; under-sensing