Multiple Tendon-inspired Sensors for Hand Motion Detection

Realistic presentation by a virtual avatar and detection are critical in a motion tracking system. Specifically, because the hand is an essential body part that interacts with other objects or humans in a virtual environment, accurate behavior tracking in real time is required. In this study, we propose a hand motion detection glove using multiple tendon-inspired sensors. Remarkably, there are no sensors or electronics in the hand part of the glove. Piezoelectric sensors are positioned on the wrist part of the glove, which are connected to the tendon in the glove. The elongated piezoelectric sensors detect the angle from joint changes caused by motions of the hand. In addition, we design a case for installing multiple sensors on many joints of the fingers. To demonstrate the sensing ability of the bending motion of the finger, a series of sensor tests is conducted using a finger structure setup. We obtain sensing results with changes in the rotational angles and frequencies. Moreover, the rotational angle can be estimated from the sensing data. Based on these results, a virtual hand system following real hand motion is constructed utilizing a motion detection glove with multiple tendon-inspired sensors. Finally, we investigate the effects of Young’s modulus, number of threads, and the structure of the elastic thread to enhance the output of the sensors.