Development of a Robotic Sixth Finger for Novel Instrument Performance

There are some people who has sixths finger and they can do some task that needs both hands by one hand. Moreover, There are many wearable hand they are difficult to use by beginner. Therefore, in this study, we developed a Robotic Sixth Finger as a lightweight and easy-to-wear wearable robot. In this study, we focused on the key-striking action of a piano and aimed to play a novel musical instrument using the robotic sixth finger. The robotic sixth finger was developed using a 3D printer. Experiments were then conducted to evaluate the response speed of the Electro-Magnetic Generator EMG input and its usability. The biological signal that operated the robotic sixth finger was an electromyogram of the extensor carpi ulnaris muscle of the left arm. Five healthy female subjects aged (18-24) years participated in the experiment. The SUS (System Usability Scale) index as a subjective evaluation and the reaction time between the robotic sixth finger and other fingers as an objective evaluation were measured. The SUS index was (70.5±6.47) points, and the reaction time was (0.56±0.12) seconds. These results indicate that the device can be used intuitively, although there is a slight time delay in terms of keystroke movement.