Design and evaluation of a multi-finger skin-stretch tactile interface for hand rehabilitation robots

Fuente: arXiv
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Autori principali: Ratschat, Alexandre L., Martín-Rodríguez, Rubén, Vardar, Yasemin, Ribbers, Gerard M., Marchal-Crespo, Laura
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2024
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author Ratschat, Alexandre L.
Martín-Rodríguez, Rubén
Vardar, Yasemin
Ribbers, Gerard M.
Marchal-Crespo, Laura
author_facet Ratschat, Alexandre L.
Martín-Rodríguez, Rubén
Vardar, Yasemin
Ribbers, Gerard M.
Marchal-Crespo, Laura
contents Object properties perceived through the tactile sense, such as weight, friction, and slip, greatly influence motor control during manipulation tasks. However, the provision of tactile information during robotic training in neurorehabilitation has not been well explored. Therefore, we designed and evaluated a tactile interface based on a two-degrees-of-freedom moving platform mounted on a hand rehabilitation robot that provides skin stretch at four fingertips, from the index through the little finger. To accurately control the rendered forces, we included a custom magnetic-based force sensor to control the tactile interface in a closed loop. The technical evaluation showed that our custom force sensor achieved measurable shear forces of +-8N with accuracies of 95.2-98.4% influenced by hysteresis, viscoelastic creep, and torsional deformation. The tactile interface accurately rendered forces with a step response steady-state accuracy of 97.5-99.4% and a frequency response in the range of most activities of daily living. Our sensor showed the highest measurement-range-to-size ratio and comparable accuracy to sensors of its kind. These characteristics enabled the closed-loop force control of the tactile interface for precise rendering of multi-finger two-dimensional skin stretch. The proposed system is a first step towards more realistic and rich haptic feedback during robotic sensorimotor rehabilitation, potentially improving therapy outcomes.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2402_12060
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Design and evaluation of a multi-finger skin-stretch tactile interface for hand rehabilitation robots
Ratschat, Alexandre L.
Martín-Rodríguez, Rubén
Vardar, Yasemin
Ribbers, Gerard M.
Marchal-Crespo, Laura
Robotics
Object properties perceived through the tactile sense, such as weight, friction, and slip, greatly influence motor control during manipulation tasks. However, the provision of tactile information during robotic training in neurorehabilitation has not been well explored. Therefore, we designed and evaluated a tactile interface based on a two-degrees-of-freedom moving platform mounted on a hand rehabilitation robot that provides skin stretch at four fingertips, from the index through the little finger. To accurately control the rendered forces, we included a custom magnetic-based force sensor to control the tactile interface in a closed loop. The technical evaluation showed that our custom force sensor achieved measurable shear forces of +-8N with accuracies of 95.2-98.4% influenced by hysteresis, viscoelastic creep, and torsional deformation. The tactile interface accurately rendered forces with a step response steady-state accuracy of 97.5-99.4% and a frequency response in the range of most activities of daily living. Our sensor showed the highest measurement-range-to-size ratio and comparable accuracy to sensors of its kind. These characteristics enabled the closed-loop force control of the tactile interface for precise rendering of multi-finger two-dimensional skin stretch. The proposed system is a first step towards more realistic and rich haptic feedback during robotic sensorimotor rehabilitation, potentially improving therapy outcomes.
title Design and evaluation of a multi-finger skin-stretch tactile interface for hand rehabilitation robots
topic Robotics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.12060