手背電気刺激による指第三関節屈曲に係る筋肉の選択的刺激とその応用可能性についての検討

抄録

In this paper, we analyzed, concerning both angles and time responsibility, the data obtained in the experiment of the previous report about the back-of-hand electrical muscle stimulation (BoHEMS), adding a more detailed anatomical discussion. The analysis for the angles confirmed that the BoHEMS could efficiently flex fingers at only the MP joint, including the index finger, which was challenging to flex so far. Also, each finger flexed without a flexion around the PIP joint, which always occurs using EMS at the forearm, which many HCI researchers have often used for finger flexion. As for the time responsibility, the BoHEMS has a similar one as the conventional forearm EMS. We conclude that the BoHEMS is helpful for application for activities of daily living because of the selective MP joint flexion, which is of great importance for those. However, since the daily movement of the finger is not such simple, the flexor and extensor muscle stimulations in the forearm are needed to flex PIP joints in cooperation. Still, it is even difficult to flex the PIP joint of the index finger from the forearm; therefore, it is necessary to tackle it as a significant issue in the future.