Function of the musculotendinous network of human hands for articulated finger motion revealed by musculoskeletal simulation and motion analysis

2013 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24700201
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Perception information processing/Intelligent robotics
• Research Institution: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: TADA Mitsunori 独立行政法人産業技術総合研究所, デジタルヒューマン工学研究センター, 研究チーム長 (70392628)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2014-03-31
• Keywords: 筋骨格モデル / 筋骨格運動計測 / 内在筋 / 外在筋 / モーメントアーム

Research Abstract

Precise manipulative function of human hand is realized by complicated musculotendinous network. In order to clarify the influence of the intrinsic muscle force on the path of the extrinsic muscle and the articulated finger motion produced by the extrinsic muscle, dynamic simulation for the musculoskeletal model and musculoskeletal motion measurement for cadaver hands were conducted, focusing on the cross-interaction within musculotendinous network. Results of these simulation and measurement clearly demonstrated that the trajectory of the fingertip was enlarged as the tension of the intrinsic muscle increased, since the interphalangeal joints began to flex later than the metacarpophalangeal joint when the intrinsic muscle was activated. This result suggests that reproducing the complicated musculotendinous network is fundamental for musculoskeletal computer simulation of human hands.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Function of the lumbrical muscle in three-dimensional fingertip trajectory and balancing of the metacarpophalangeal joint : a cadaveric study
  • Author(s): Yusaku Kamata, Toshiyasu Nakamura, Mitsunori Tada, Shinjiro Sueda, Dinesh K. Pai, Takeo Nagura5, Yoshiaki Toyama
• [Presentation] Musculoskeletal motion analysis of cadaver hands (2014)
  • Author(s): Mitsunori Tada
  • Organizer: International Conference on Robotics and Automation 2014: Workshop on Human Modeling and Control for Assistive Technologies
  • Year and Date: 20140000
• [Presentation] Inconsistency between objective and subjective difficulty of button-press task (2013)
  • Author(s): Mitsunori Tada and Yoshifumi Nishida
  • Organizer: XXIV Congress of the International Society of Biomechanics
  • Year and Date: 20130000
• [Presentation] 示指関節運動の連動性 (2013)
  • Author(s): 多田充徳,末田信二郎,鎌田雄策,中村俊康, Dinesh K. Pai,名倉武雄,戸山芳昭
  • Organizer: 日本機械学会ロボティクス・メカトロニクス講演会2013
  • Place of Presentation: (1P1-N08)
  • Year and Date: 20130000