Proposal of a Non-Dominant Hand Training Device Utilizing Flexion/Extension Vibration Sensory Feedback Based on Image Sensing

The utilization of the non-dominant hand contributes to improving the efficiency of hand movements. However, traditional training methods require substantial time to master, making it important to find more efficient ways to improve drawing ability within a limited timeframe. Therefore, this study aimed to improve the efficiency of training by developing a device that improves the accuracy of the non-dominant hand drawing on shape drawing tasks. The device is worn on the user’s finger and provides vibration feedback to guide flexion and extension of the finger, encouraging the user to adopt the optimal fingertip posture for their individual needs. The optimal posture of the fingertip is determined based on the movements of the dominant hand. To evaluate the effectiveness of the device, an experimental shape-tracing task was performed with 44 participants. The participants were tasked with tracing 30 shapes accurately and quickly, and the shifts of the traced lines from the reference lines were quantified. The results of the experiment showed that, while the group without the device experienced a 4.243% increase in Total Shifts, the group that used the device successfully reduced Total Shifts by 4.689%, demonstrating an improvement in drawing accuracy. These results indicate that the proposed device effectively enhances drawing ability within a fixed period and is effective in shortening the training time for the non-dominant hand.