A Piezoelectric Force Sensing and Gesture Monitoring-Based Technique for Acupuncture Quantification

Acupuncture is one of the most significant therapies of Chinese traditional medical science, and it is now globally utilized for diverse treatments, e.g., pain management. Traditionally, there is no quantification means for storing masters’ skills and examining trainee’s learning effect, hence, strongly limiting the development of acupuncture. For addressing this issue, in this article, a piezoelectric glove based wearable stress sensing technique is presented. Experimental results showcase that through the piezoelectric force-sensing glove, key parameters (e.g., peak stress at needle) during performing acupuncture are detected and extracted. Simultaneously, the Leap Motion, as a finger gesture monitoring technique, is utilized to capture the finger motion during acupuncture, allowing trainees to have a straightforward understanding of how gesture details are correlated to the stress information. The technique presented in this article potentially improves the learning efficiency of trainees and therefore advancing the progress of acupuncture.