2005 Volume 43 Issue 4 Pages 790-794
The kinematic characteristics of the foot thumb were evaluated in order to develop a new input device; the “Foot Mouse.” Seven healthy subjects pushed a sensor button placed under the right-foot thumb and three components of the pressure were measured by the sensor. The subjects were requested to push the button in five directions applying three kinds of effort each. The maximum value among the lateral, anterior and posterior pressures was about 3.5 kgf and the maximum downward pressure force was about 19.2 kgf. The objective direction of recording pressure was different from the direction of the user's intention. Large downward pressure was observed in every task. Moreover, there were significant variations in kinematic characteristics between individuals. A dedicated transformation process for these objective pressure components should be designed for the interface of the “Foot Mouse.”
