Sensorized Glove for Ergonomic Hand Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ergonomic analysis methods in the manufacturing and metal-engineering industries, particularly in the automotive sector, are subjective, resource-intensive, and inadequate for real-time, objective assessment of worker movements and postures, especially when it comes to hand activities, failing to meet the needs of estimating critical ergonomic indicators effectively.
Innovation Solution
A sensorized glove system that combines inertial sensors, pressure sensors, and image-acquisition technology to provide objective and repeatable data on worker hand movements and postures, enabling the identification of critical actions and ergonomic assessments compliant with standards, through a wearable network of sensors and image-acquisition system synchronized with a processing unit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If visual analysis of the worker is performed manually by an operator, then ergonomic monitoring can be carried out, but the process is afflicted by subjective variability and is demanding in terms of temporal resources
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual visual analysis with an automated system comprising image acquisition means (cameras), processing means (computational algorithms), and sensorized gloves with inertial sensors. This substitution eliminates subjective variability and reduces temporal resources by automatically capturing and processing ergonomic data in real-time or near-real-time, transforming the manual observation process into an automated measurement system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediate devices between the worker and the analyst: image acquisition cameras capture visual data, sensorized gloves with inertial sensors capture motion data, and processing algorithms interpret this data. These intermediaries objectively mediate the ergonomic assessment, removing the subjective element while maintaining comprehensive monitoring capability.
2Measurement precision
If acquisition of body positions is performed via images and video clips, then subjective variability is eliminated, but the reading resolution is too low and only part of the human body is covered
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the body monitoring system into specialized components: image acquisition means for visual capture, sensorized gloves for hand and finger monitoring, and inertial sensors for specific body parts. This segmentation allows each component to focus on specific body regions with high resolution, overcoming the limitation of general video analysis while maintaining system manageability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different measurement qualities to different body parts based on ergonomic importance. Sensorized gloves with high-resolution pressure and inertial sensors are applied to hands and fingers where detailed motion capture is critical. This local enhancement of measurement quality provides high reading resolution for critical areas without requiring ultra-high resolution for the entire body.
3Reliability
If sensorized gloves with inertial sensors are used, then objective and repeatable data on hand movements is obtained, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs sensorized gloves that integrate multiple sensor types (pressure sensors, inertial sensors, flex sensors) into a single multi-functional device. This universal glove design provides comprehensive hand motion capture, force measurement, and posture detection simultaneously, achieving high reliability through multiple measurement modalities while consolidating what would otherwise require multiple separate devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges pressure sensors, inertial sensors, and other sensing elements into an integrated sensorized glove system. By combining these sensors into a single wearable unit, the system achieves high reliability through data fusion from multiple sources while reducing the overall device complexity compared to using separate instruments for each measurement type.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1C
Figure 2~2.A
Figure 3
AI summary
Described herein is a sensorized glove (2), in particular configured for ergonomic analysis, including: - an inner glove (10), which comprises a plurality of extensometer sensors (EXT) configured for detecting relative movements between parts of a worker's hand; and - an outer glove (12), which comprises a plurality of pressure sensors (PS) distributed over a palmar surface and configured for detecting the pressure exerted in corresponding areas of said palmar surface. Moreover described is a corresponding method for determining the type of grasp exerted by a worker.