Development of 6-axis force/moment sensor for measuring the fingers' muscular strength of human

In order to judge the rehabilitation extent of the damaged fingers as a stroke patient, the fingers' muscular strength should be measured. It is that the muscular strength values of the damaged fingers of a patient should be compared with that of a normal man. The 6-axis force/moment sensor which can measure forces Fx, Fy, Fz and moments Mx, My, Mz is necessary to measure the fingers' muscular strength, and it is proper in its size, capacities of each sensor to measure the forces and moments accurately. In this paper, the 6-axis force/moment sensor to measure some fingers' muscular strength is developed, which is the fingers' muscular strength to grasp with the surface of fingers, the fingers' muscular strength to grasp with the side surface of fingers, and the fingers' muscular strength to twist with two hands. The characteristic test of the fingers' muscular strength is carried out using the developed 6-axis force/moment sensor. It is thought that the developed sensor could be used to measure the fingers' muscular strength of human.