2026-09-19T08:32:44Zhttps://dspace.mit.edu/server/oai/requestoai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/1279272021-07-05T14:03:20Zcom_1721.1_7582com_1721.1_7581col_1721.1_131024
H. Harry Asada.
Henshaw, Katie(Katherine A.)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering
2020-10-08T21:30:47Z
2020-10-08T21:30:47Z
2020
2020
https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/127927
1197975044
Thesis: S.B., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, May, 2020
Cataloged from the official PDF of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 14-15).
This thesis presents the theory and design of a sensor that detects a when a finger is pressed by visually examining a user's fingernail coloration. Unlike other finger-based controllers that primarily depend on covering the finger pad, this method of sensing allows for accurate measurements without impairing a user's tactile sense. First the color change of a fingernail is examined based on the underlying biological mechanisms of the finger. Then the hue, saturation, and value (HSV) coordinates of videos of the fingernails are analyzed in three different locations; the entire image, a segment of the rear of the fingernail, and a segment of the tip of the fingernail. The front of the fingernail, where a white band develops when pressure is applied to the finger, proved to have statistically significant increases in saturation and value for all test subjects. With these results a simple sensor was designed and tested that accurately sensed finger presses, however with a significant time lag. Finally, the mechanical design of such a sensor was proposed, leaving room for further study and development.
by Katie Henshaw.
S.B.
S.B. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering
15 pages
eng
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MIT theses may be protected by copyright. Please reuse MIT thesis content according to the MIT Libraries Permissions Policy, which is available through the URL provided.
http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582
Mechanical Engineering.
Optical detection of finger pressure through utilization of nailbed color changes
Thesis
application/pdf
2020-10-08T21:30:46Z
Publication
Bachelor
MechE
unknown
unknown
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<Abstract>This thesis presents the theory and design of a sensor that detects a when a finger is pressed by visually examining a user's fingernail coloration. Unlike other finger-based controllers that primarily depend on covering the finger pad, this method of sensing allows for accurate measurements without impairing a user's tactile sense. First the color change of a fingernail is examined based on the underlying biological mechanisms of the finger. Then the hue, saturation, and value (HSV) coordinates of videos of the fingernails are analyzed in three different locations; the entire image, a segment of the rear of the fingernail, and a segment of the tip of the fingernail. The front of the fingernail, where a white band develops when pressure is applied to the finger, proved to have statistically significant increases in saturation and value for all test subjects. With these results a simple sensor was designed and tested that accurately sensed finger presses, however with a significant time lag. Finally, the mechanical design of such a sensor was proposed, leaving room for further study and development.</Abstract>
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