Modeling of a Sliding Human Fingertip

Abstract

In this thesis, we employed our proposed Beam Bundle Model (BBM) (see previous chapters) in the attempted modeling of a human fingertip. In order to implement this, we utilized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of a subject’s fingertip to construct a mathematical model of the structure of a fingertip. We first characterize pre-sliding regime on a real human finger in order to find out which factors is the most important in term of haptic display. We succeeded in creating a representation of localized displacements (also referred to as local skin stretch) during the pre-slide phase of the fingertip, which is considered crucial to assessing stick/slip events on the contact surface during contact with the outside world. The results of this research can be utilized in further studies in haptic sensation, and to develop sensors for the detection of slippage.