FBG sensing glove for monitoring hand posture

Abstract

A wearable sensing glove for monitoring hand gestures and posture has been developed. The glove sensing capability is based on optical fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) sensors. These sensors, due to their inherent self-referencing and multiplexing capability, are a value-added choice for this application. A single optical fiber would cross all the hand with Bragg structures in specific spots, as the finger joints. The functionality and performance of the glove was fully evaluated. The sensor response was linear to the hand movements for opening and closing down. Through the sensor response, it was possible to retrieve information about the joint angles from which other set of information like finger force can be estimated. The developed glove was able to provide numerical data about the angles of the hand posture in real time. The simplicity of the system and performance makes it well suitable for physical therapy applications, study of the human kinematics during sport activity, virtual reality or even remote control applications, among others.