Hand training device

Abstract

A hand training device and corresponding method are used for sensing and measuring a capacitance corresponding to the pressure or force applied by the hand or fingers of the user. This hand training apparatus has slots for the index finger, the middle finger, the ring finger, and the pinky finger. The data obtained from the device can be utilized to create a 3-D model to indicate grip strength exerted by the hand or pinch strength.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A hand training device comprising:
 a body,   a housing,   at least one finger resistance device,   at least one capacitive sensor,   at least one processor, and   at least one memory configured to:
 store at least one computer program code configured to:
 with the at least one processor to cause the hand training device to apply an at least one electronic charge to the at least one capacitive sensor, and 
 measure a capacitance of the at least one capacitance sensor. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The at least one computer program from  claim 1 , wherein at least a first program is configured to:
 create a 3-dimensional model of a foreign object based on the measured capacitance of the at least one capacitive sensor, when the at least one capacitance is affected by the foreign object and   generate a deformation model of the at least one finger resistance device based on the 3-dimensional model of the foreign object.   
     
     
         3 . The at least a first program from  claim 2 , wherein it provides a one or more result indicating a grip strength exerted by the foreign object in the at least a one axis and provides the one or more result as an output. 
     
     
         4 . The at least a first program from  claim 2 , wherein the at least a first program provides a one or more result indicating a pinch strength exerted by the foreign object in the at least a one axis and provides the one or more result as an output. 
     
     
         5 . The at least first program from  claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor is configured generate a 3-dimensional model of a foreign object based on the measured capacitance of a two or more capacitive sensor and the distance between the two or more capacitance sensors, when the at least two or more capacitance sensors are affected by the foreign object. 
     
     
         6 . A method for acquiring haptic data and displaying results comprising:
 a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium,   a one or more sequences of a one or more instruction,   a one or more processor,   a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying the one or more sequence of the one or more instruction which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes an outcome.   
     
     
         7 . The method from  claim 6 , wherein the outcome consists of causing an apparatus for generating a deformation model of at least one finger resistance device to perform:
 retrieving a one or more capacitive sensor data, wherein the one or more capacitive sensor data indicates the position of a foreign object or a change in position of the foreign object, processing the one or more capacitive sensor data to create a 3-dimensional model of the foreign object, and   generating a deformation model of the at least one finger resistance device based on the 3-dimensional model of the foreign object to obtain a result,   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the result indicates a grip strength exerted by the hand in a at least one axis. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the result indicates a pinch strength exerted by the hand in the at least one axis. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the outcome consists of causing an apparatus to detect, in real-time by the at least one capacitive sensor,
 a position of a hand and a change in the position of the hand in at least one axis;   generate a 3-dimensional shape of the hand based on the detected position, and   detected change of position of the hand; and   measure a deformation of the at least one finger resistance device to obtain a result.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the result indicates a grip strength exerted by the hand in at least one axis. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the result indicates a pinch strength exerted by the hand in at least one axis.