Method of position command generation by index finger motion to mitigate influence of unintentional finger movements during operation

Recently it has been proposed to use robots for human welfare, but current robot operation methods are not easy for novice users. Therefore, an intuitive operation method is required. Given the dexterity of the index finger, one potentially easy operating method is for an operator to use their index finger to control robotic motion, in which the robot makes the same motion as the finger. However, when the operator moves their index finger with an intended motion, it is not confirmed whether the actual finger motion is the same as the intended motion, and a difference between them possibly exists. When this happens, the robot makes a motion different from the motion intended by the operator. In this research, we studied the difference between the intended and actual index finger motion using an experiment in which it was supposed that participants manipulated a virtual object using their finger motion. The results clarified that a difference exists, and when the participant intended to move the tip of their right index finger linearly in the forward and backward directions, the actual motion was along a curve convex to the left direction. An operating method using a conversion equation to calculate the intended index finger motion of the operator from the actual motion was constructed considering the difference between the intended and actual motion. Another experiment of operating a virtual object was conducted using the proposed curvature-adjusted operating method and the conventional method, and the operation methods were compared in terms of required time, tracing accuracy, and user feedback. The results confirmed that the proposed curvature-adjusted operating method is effective overall.