Novel Assembled Sensorized Glove Platform for Comprehensive Hand Function Assessment by Using Inertial Sensors and Force Sensing Resistors

This study proposed a novel assembled sensorized glove combining nine-axis inertial measurement units (IMUs) and force sensing resistors (FSRs) to simultaneously measure hand kinematics and fingertip force. The sensorized glove was designed to have high flexibility and extensibility. The accuracy and reliability of the hand kinematics measurements were verified using four-finger flexion-extension tasks. The results reveal that the mean absolute errors (MAEs) of the joint angles of fingers are all <; 5°, thus indicating that the glove can precisely measure hand kinematics. The MAE of the fingertip force prediction was 1.47 N, thus revealing that the FSRs can accurately measure the fingertip force. Moreover, comprehensive evaluation was conducted to prove that the sensorized glove can not only simultaneously measure the hand kinematics and fingertip force but also distinguish between the subjects with distinct hand functions. Therefore, the sensorized glove proposed in this study is reliable and has a strong potential for application in practical rehabilitation settings.