Predicting the Dynamic Stiffness of a Glove Material using Mechanical Impedance Model

Abstract Anti-vibration glove has been developed to be able to attenuate vibration transmitted to the hand. However, the performance depends on lots of factors such as the contact area and contact force. In addition, the materials used in gloves are commonly made of foam and gel, which produce complex response when these factors are changed. This study aimed to predict the dynamic stiffness of a glove based on the measured transmissibility and apparent mass, using mechanical impedance model. This is used so that the dynamic response of the material can be well understood when parameters such as contact area and contact force are changed. The mechanical impedance model has previously been used to predict transmissibility and showed prediction that is comparable to the measured transmissibility. Measured transmissibilities and apparent masses of the hand of five subjects were used in the model to predict the dynamic stiffness of the glove material. The predicted dynamic stiffness was then compared to the dynamic stiffness measured experimentally. The results showed that the predicted dynamic stiffnesses were similar to the measured dynamic stiffness. In conclusion, the mechanical impedance model is able to predict dynamic stiffness of the glove material.