Modeling the Human Touch: A FEM Model of the Human Hand Fingertips for Haptic Applications

A. Talarico[1], M. Malvezzi[1], D. Prattichizzo[1,2]
[1]Department of Information Engineering & Mathematical Science, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
[2]Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
Published in 2014

Performance of tactile sensation is affected by fingertip deformation characteristics produced when touching objects. Tactile performance of human fingertips is strictly associated with activity of the nerve endings and sensitivity of the soft tissue within the fingertip to the static and dynamic skin indentation. In this study, a Finite Element model, based on the physiological structure of the fingertip, has been developed to simulate the interaction between fingertip and a flat plate while in contact. The fingertip is assumed to be composed of skin layers, comprising epidermis and dermis, subcutaneous tissue, nail and arterial bone. All of them are treated as nonlinear and inhomogeneous materials. Results show that the soft tissues of fingertips are very sensitive to stimuli.