ThimbleSense: A Fingertip-Wearable Tactile Sensor for Grasp Analysis.

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Robotics
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Accurate measurement of hand-object contact forces is essential for understanding sensorimotor control.
• Existing methods may lack versatility in studying diverse grasp and manipulation tasks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and validate ThimbleSense, a novel wearable sensor for individual digit force/torque measurement.
• To assess the accuracy and potential impact of ThimbleSense on grasp force perception.

Main Methods:

• Developed ThimbleSense, a prototype intrinsic tactile sensor integrated with an active marker-based motion capture system.
• Simultaneously measured fingertip position, orientation, and contact forces in a global reference frame.
• Conducted validation experiments to assess measurement accuracy and afferent input distortion.

Main Results:

• ThimbleSense successfully measures fingertip position, orientation, and forces in a global frame.
• The device offers versatility for studying a wide range of objects and manipulation tasks.
• Initial validation experiments assessed measurement accuracy and the influence of device rigidity on grasp forces.

Conclusions:

• ThimbleSense provides a versatile platform for detailed analysis of grasp and manipulation.
• Further validation is required to confirm its suitability for experimental use in sensorimotor research.