Abstract
Human hands have highly sensitive skin sensation and deep sensation, and also have viscoelastic skeletal muscles and a skeletal structure of multi-joint linkages with many redundant degrees of freedom. Therefore, human hands can perform minute operations in handling works. A measuring technique for movements of hands is useful for a development of interface devices that can transfer human intention to a machine system. In order to measure movements of fingers, we have developed an exoskeletal type photo-goniometer that can be fitted with the thumb, the indexfinger and the middle finger without any impediments in finger actions. We have put on this goniometer with multi-joint linkages, and performed the calibration of measurement tools. We have transferred data from fiber-optic goniosensors on the joints to the personal computer, and we have analyzed the co-operations of fingers in three-dimensional movements by using these data. We expect more precise measurements of finger movements by improving the accuracy in works of this goniometer.
