Modeling A Deformable Human Arm for Constrained Reach Analysis

摘要

We present our ongoing effort for modeling a deformable human arm to improve the accuracy of constrained reach analysis. People tolerate a certain level of tissue deformation when compressed against a solid object. We have created a deformable arm segment by measuring skin displacement depth as a function of applied force. In order to populate the model with reasonable tissue properties, we have built a simple but effective measuring device to acquire the non-linear force-depth relation from numerous sample points on an arm surface. We use this empirical data within the theory of mechanics of materials for a solid mathematical formulation. Given an obstacle, our goal is to determine the increase in reachable space under a certain level of tolerable contact force. We use a finite element method in order to simulate realistic deformations based on general living tissue properties and the measured force-depth relations.