Gyroscope Sensor Based In Vivo Finger Axes of Rotation Identification Using Screw Displacement

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Robotics
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Accurate identification of finger joint axes is crucial for biomechanical analysis and robotic applications.
• Traditional methods for determining joint axes are often complex, costly, and lack portability.
• Understanding rigid body motion, specifically screw displacement, is fundamental in kinematics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel, low-cost, efficient, and portable in vivo method for identifying the axes of rotation of the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) and distal interphalangeal (DIP) joints of the index finger.
• To establish a test framework utilizing a gyroscope sensor for determining these joint axes.
• To validate the accuracy of the proposed method by comparing results with established literature.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the screw displacement representation of rigid body motion.
• Employed the matrix exponential method for a detailed derivation of spatial displacement and Rodrigues' formulae for rotation.
• Developed a test framework incorporating a gyroscope sensor to capture motion data.
• Conducted experiments to determine the axes of rotation for PIP and DIP finger joints.

Main Results:

• Successfully established a portable and efficient test framework for identifying finger joint axes.
• The experimental results for the axes of rotation of the PIP and DIP joints demonstrated high agreement with values reported in existing literature.
• The proposed method offers a viable alternative to traditional, more complex techniques.

Conclusions:

• The developed gyroscope-based method provides a low-cost, efficient, and portable solution for in vivo identification of finger joint rotation axes.
• This approach simplifies the process of kinematic analysis for finger joints.
• The findings have potential applications in areas such as prosthetics, rehabilitation robotics, and virtual reality interfaces.