Analysis of length of finger segments with different hand postures to enhance glove design

Employing a three-stage procedure to develop a sizing system for medical gloves

There is a need for gloves that are designed based on the dimensions of the hand of each society because the proper size is a key factor that affects performance. This study aimed to design and develop a glove-sizing system for Iranian healthcare workers using anthropometric data. This study was conducted on a sample including 540 healthcare workers across Iran classified by ethnicity and gender. Thirty-three dimensions were measured as the anthropometric data. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and clustering analysis were used to create classifications for glove sizes. The most effective dimensions in defining the hand sizes of Iranian healthcare workers were middle finger length and the handbreadth. The designed six-size system covered 94% of the sample. This system can be used to design suitable gloves for Iranians. The sizes presented can be used to compare size differences in different communities. Practitioner summary: In this study, an attempt was made to design a sizing system with maximum coverage for medical gloves using statistical analysis methods and hand anthropometric dimensions of Iranian healthcare workers. The method of this study can be used in other communities as well for improving sizing systems.Abbreviations: PCA: Principal Component Analysis; GSS: Glove Sizing Systems; TEM: Technical error of measurement; R: Reliability coefficient; KMO: The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin; PC1: The first principal component; PC2: The second principal component; FCMC: Fuzzy c-means clustering; XS: Very small; S: Small; SM: Medium small; LM: Medium large; L: Large; Xl: Very large.

3D Hand Scanning Methodology for Determining Protective Glove Dimensional Allowances

There are two types of dimensional allowance (inner and external) related to two distinct areas of occupational health and safety: those being a measure of fit of personal protective equipment (PPE) and those determining the safe and comfortable human interaction with tools and machines, e.g., the latter ones result from wearing PPE increasing the dimensions of the human body and generating limitations in the work environment. In this paper, they are taken to mean the difference between the dimensions of a bare and gloved hand (including glove construction and materials). Dimensional allowances are important in designing the work environment, e.g., machine control panels and tools. The absolute and relative maximum values of dimensional allowances determined in this study for a hand in a firefighter's protective glove for the main anthropometric data are: 16.90 mm (5.90%) for length, 12.00 mm (13.77%) for width, and 15.70 mm (7.96%) for circumference. The obtained results are useful for designers, and especially for designing keys on control panels and LCD touch displays and monitors integrated with machines.

Objective assessment of tapering of the fingers in adults

Mild proximal-to-distal tapering of the fingers is a relatively common trait in humans. When more extreme, finger tapering is a feature observed in many genetic syndromes. The range of variation for finger tapering in the general population is not well understood, and sex differences in the degree of tapering, while suspected, have not been documented. Part of the difficulty is a lack of objective methods to evaluate finger tapering. In the present report, we developed a tapering index based on linear measures derived from digital hand scans. We measured this index in a sample of 166 male and 166 age-matched female adults. We then looked at correlations both among fingers and with demographic and anthropometric variables, followed by tests for sex differences. We observed weak correlations between tapering and age, height and weight. Correlations between pairs of fingers tended to be more in the moderate range and were highest among the middle three fingers (ranging from 0.34 to 0.64). Tapering tended to increase slightly moving radially across the hand from the fifth finger to the second finger. Males showed less tapering than females for all fingers, with statistically significant differences involving the left second finger (p = 0.003), left fifth finger (p< 0.001), right second finger (p = 0.038), and right fourth finger (p = 0.021). Finally, we established baseline norms for both males and females out to three standard deviations. Our results indicate that finger tapering is present, to some degree, in most of the population and that the trait can be measured using a relatively simple and non-invasive method. These findings may have relevance for fields as diverse as medical genetics, forensics, and industrial design.

Artificial intelligence technologies for more flexible recommendation in uniforms

Purpose

This research aims to collect human body variables via 2D images captured by digital cameras. Based on those human variables, the forecast and recommendation of the Digital Camouflage Uniforms (DCU) for Taiwan's military personnel are made.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 375 subjects are recruited (male: 253; female: 122). In this study, OpenPose converts the photographed 2D images into four body variables, which are compared with those of a tape measure and 3D scanning simultaneously. Then, the recommendation model of the DCU is built by the decision tree. Meanwhile, the Euclidean distance of each size of the DCU in the manufacturing specification is calculated as the best three recommendations.

Findings

The recommended size established by the decision tree is only 0.62 and 0.63. However, for the recommendation result of the best three options, the DCU Fitting Score can be as high as 0.8 or more. The results of OpenPose and 3D scanning have the highest correlation coefficient even though the method of measuring body size is different. This result confirms that OpenPose has significant measurement validity. That is, inexpensive equipment can be used to obtain reasonable results.

Originality/value

In general, the method proposed in this study is suitable for applications in e-commerce and the apparel industry in a long-distance, non-contact and non-pre-labeled manner when the world is facing Covid-19. In particular, it can reduce the measurement troubles of ordinary users when purchasing clothing online.

Effects of wearing of metacarpal gloves on hand dexterity, function, and perceived comfort: A pilot study

Metacarpal gloves are commonly used in heavy-duty industries such as mining and are typically thicker and bulkier than manufacturing or assembly industrial gloves. This pilot study investigates the impact of wearing metacarpal gloves on hand dexterity, functional capabilities, and perceived comfort. Four types of commercially available metacarpal gloves were selected for evaluation in a randomized controlled trial. Evaluations included turning and placing tests, also grip, pinch, and screwdriver tests, and rating of the perceived level of effort. Dexterity test results showed that metacarpal gloves significantly reduced the ability to perform motor tasks requiring coordination compared to bare hands. Hand functions such as gripping, pinching, and forearm rotations were not significantly affected. However, the perceived level of effort needed to complete those hand functions increased as the metacarpal glove's bulkiness increased. High levels of mechanical protection typically offered by metacarpal gloves can inversely affect hand dexterity and hand exertion.