PROJECT TITLE :

Design and Evaluation of a Cable-Driven fMRI-Compatible Haptic Interface to Investigate Precision Grip Control

ABSTRACT:

Our hands and fingers are involved in nearly all activities of daily living and, as such, have a disproportionately giant neural representation. Useful magnetic resonance imaging investigations into the neural control of the hand have revealed great advances, but the harsh MRI environment has proven to be a challenge to devices capable of delivering a large selection of stimuli necessary for well-controlled studies. This paper presents a fMRI-compatible haptic interface to research the neural mechanisms underlying precision grasp control. The interface, located at the scanner bore, is controlled remotely through a shielded electromagnetic actuation system positioned at the end of the scanner bed and then through a high stiffness, low inertia cable transmission. We gift the system style, taking into account needs outlined by the biomechanics and dynamics of the human hand, further because the fMRI surroundings. Performance evaluation revealed a structural stiffness of 3.3 N/mm, renderable forces up to 94 N, and a foothold management bandwidth of at least nineteen Hz. MRI-compatibility tests showed no degradation within the operation of the haptic interface or the image quality. A preliminary fMRI experiment throughout a pilot study validated the usability of the haptic interface, illustrating the probabilities offered by this device.