Glove System Artificial Tendons Dynamic Tension Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mechanical solutions for enhancing hand grip strength, such as exoskeletons and prostheses, are often clumsy and inefficient due to under-actuation and fixed cord configurations, which limit their effectiveness in applying forces uniformly across finger joints.
Innovation Solution
A glove system with artificial tendons made of suitable materials, integrated into a feedback loop with sensors and actuators, balances pushing forces to strengthen finger movements by adjusting tendon tension dynamically, allowing for improved grip force distribution and control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If mechanical exoskeletons with loadbearing units are used to strengthen hand grip, then gripping force is improved, but the device becomes clumsy and difficult to operate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses flexible cords running in sheaths along the fingers instead of rigid mechanical exoskeletons. This allows the strengthening device to conform to the natural anatomy and movement of the hand, eliminating the clumsiness of rigid loadbearing units while maintaining force amplification capability
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts cord tension through actuators that respond to finger position and grip force requirements. This dynamic adjustment allows the device to adapt to different gripping tasks and finger movements, improving ease of operation compared to static mechanical exoskeletons
2Device complexity
If under-actuation is used with fixed cord configurations to reduce actuator numbers, then device complexity is reduced, but force distribution across finger joints becomes non-uniform and ineffective
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamic adjustment of cord tension through independently controlled actuators for each finger. This allows the system to maintain force balance across multiple joints even with reduced actuation, as the cord tension can be actively regulated to compensate for the fixed geometric configuration
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the tension parameter of the artificial tendons dynamically to achieve uniform force distribution. By adjusting the tension in each cord independently, the system can compensate for the fixed cord-to-joint distances and maintain effective force application across all finger joints
Data Source
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AI summary
A finger glove for use in strengthening a gripping movement of a human hand enclosed in the glove, wherein the glove has a palm, glove fingers (4a-4c) on each side containing an artificial tendon (Ia-Ic) extending along the inside of the glove, a yoke (6a-6c) fitted in the tip of the glove fingers intended to surround the tip of an enclosed finger, at each side of said glove finger artificial tendons (Ia-Ic) connected to said yoke, a force detecting sensor (12a-12c) adapted to detect a force between a finger enclosed in the glove finger and a contact surface applied to said finger, the artificial tendons for a glove finger being connected to at least one actuator (10a- 10c) and a control unit (19) causing said actuator to exert a pulling force on the. artificial tendons of the glove finger on the basis of a force detected in the force detecting sensor, whereby the finger enclosed in the glove finger is caused to bend.