Abstract
This study aims to develop a novel measurement system for the finger joint angle by using a soft polymer sensor, which enables easier evaluation of human motion. In the rehabilitation, it is important to evaluate human motion quantitatively for effective treatment. In this study, we focus on hand grip motion, which is important motion for eating and drinking. From the previous studies, it has been elucidated that the outputs from the soft polymer sensor are proportional to the mean of sensor curvatures. The sensor has good flexibility. Therefore, finger bending motion can be measured by attaching the sensor on the finger joint. To obtain the relationship between sensor outputs and finger joint angles, the sensor outputs during grasping motion is compared with the finger joint angles measured by VICON which is the 3D motion capture system. From the results, it is proved that this system is useful to measure the finger joint angle.
