Analysis on the force distribution of various grasps for the design of a hand exoskeleton

In this paper, various grasp forces are analyzed for the design of a hand exoskeleton. The applied forces to the fingertips and palm with different grasps are measured by a film-type force sensor, and proportions of the applied force to each part of the hand are analyzed. The experimental results show that the fingertips are most dominant for manipulating objects with any grasps. Based on this analysis, the hand exoskeleton is designed to deliver forces mainly to the fingertips. The performance of the proposed structure, i.e., delivering force to the fingertip, is verified by the manufactured hand exoskeleton structure.