Investigating the Effects of a Task-Specific Fatigue Protocol on Hand Tracking Performance Using a Wrist Robotic Device

Abstract

The purpose of this work was to evaluate the effects of a dynamic submaximal fatigue protocol and forearm/hand anthropometrics on hand tracking performance. Participants traced a 2:3 Lissajous curve using a haptic wrist robotic device (WristBot). This same curve was traced before the fatigue (baseline), during the fatigue protocol, and after the fatigue protocol. Post fatigue trials were completed at 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 minutes after the cessation of the fatigue protocol. Overall tracking performance and movement smoothness decreased immediately. Directional biases in the normal and longitudinal component of tracking error were present after the fatigue protocol. Proximal forearm circumference and forearm length had a negative correlation with movement smoothness. Hand tracking performance decreased due to the submaximal fatigue protocol. Those with a larger proximal forearm circumference and longer forearm length had better movement smoothness performance which can be applied to the workplace where hand and wrist are predominately used.