A Mechanical Hand-Tracking System With Tactile Feedback Designed for Telemanipulation

In this paper, we present a mechanical hand-tracking system with tactile feedback designed for fine manipulation in teleoperation scenarios. Alternative tracking methods based on artificial vision and data gloves have become an asset for virtual reality interaction. Yet, occlusions, lack of precision, and the absence of effective haptic feedback beyond vibrotactile still appear as a limit for teleoperation applications. In this work, we propose a methodology to design a linkage mechanism for hand pose tracking purposes, preserving complete finger mobility. Presentation of the method is followed by design and implementation of a working prototype, and by evaluation of the tracking accuracy using optical markers. Moreover, a teleoperation experiment involving a dexterous robotic arm and hand was proposed to ten participants. It investigated the effectiveness and repeatability of the hand tracking with combined haptic feedback during a proposed pick and place manipulation tasks.