Quantifying the human finger reachable space.

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Robotics
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Quantifying hand and finger flexibility is crucial for understanding motor control and rehabilitation.
• Current methods for determining reachable space are often computationally intensive, limiting their practical application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a resource-friendly and accurate method for determining and quantifying the bidimensional reachable space of the finger.
• To enable effective visualization and quantification of reachable spaces for evaluating hand functionality and therapeutic conditions.

Main Methods:

• Developed a novel approach based on arc formulae for the boundary of the reachable space.
• Utilized Green's theorem for unique calculation of the reachable space area.
• Compared the proposed method against kinematic feedforward and Monte Carlo simulation.

Main Results:

• The novel approach significantly improved execution time compared to existing methods.
• Achieved more accurate quantification values for the reachable space.
• Demonstrated the ability to visualize and quantify reachable spaces effectively.

Conclusions:

• The proposed arc formulae-based method offers a computationally efficient and accurate solution for reachable space quantification.
• This approach has the potential to enhance the evaluation of hand functionality in clinical and research settings.