Department of Electronics Convergence Engineering, Wonkwang University, 460 Iksandae-ro, Iksan 54538, Korea.
School of Mechanical Engineering, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Korea.
Sensors (Basel). 2021 Sep 16;21(18):6216. doi: 10.3390/s21186216.
Pinching motions are important for holding and retaining objects with precision. Therefore, training exercises for the thumb and index finger are extremely important in the field of hand rehabilitation. Considering the need for training convenience, we developed a device and a driving system to assist pinching motions actively via a lightweight, simple, and wireless mechanism driven by the magnetic forces and torques generated by magnets attached to the tip of these two fingers. This device provides accurate pinching motions through the linking structures connecting the two magnets. The fabricated device has minimal mechanical elements with an ultralightweight of 57.2 g. The magnetic field, the intensity of which is based on the time variant, generates a pinching motion between the thumb and index finger, thus rendering it possible to achieve repetitive training. To verify the generation of an active pinching motion, we fabricated a finger model using a 3D printer and a rubber sheet and observed the active motions generated by the newly developed device. We also verified the performance of the proposed mechanism and driving method via various experiments and magnetic simulations. The proposed mechanism represents an important breakthrough for patients requiring hand rehabilitation and wearable assistive motion devices.
捏合动作对于精确握持和保持物体非常重要。因此，在手部康复领域，拇指和食指的训练练习极其重要。考虑到训练方便的需要，我们开发了一种装置和驱动系统，通过由附在这两个手指指尖的磁铁产生的磁力和扭矩来主动辅助捏合运动，该装置采用轻便、简单且无线的机构。该装置通过连接两个磁铁的连杆结构提供精确的捏合运动。所制造的装置具有最小的机械元件，重量仅为 57.2 克。磁场的强度随时间变化，在拇指和食指之间产生捏合运动，从而实现重复训练。为了验证主动捏合运动的产生，我们使用 3D 打印机和橡胶片制造了手指模型，并观察了新开发装置产生的主动运动。我们还通过各种实验和磁场模拟验证了所提出的机构和驱动方法的性能。所提出的机构为需要手部康复和可穿戴辅助运动设备的患者提供了重要的突破。
