A Metamaterial Computational Multi‐Sensor of Grip‐Strength Properties with Point‐of‐Care Human‐Computer Interaction

Abstract

Abstract Grip strength is a biomarker of frailty and an evaluation indicator of brain health, cardiovascular morbidity, and psychological health. Yet, the development of a reliable, interactive, and point‐of‐care device for comprehensive multi‐sensing of hand grip status is challenging. Here, a relation between soft buckling metamaterial deformations and built piezoelectric voltage signals is uncovered to achieve multiple sensing of maximal grip force, grip speed, grip impulse, and endurance indicators. A metamaterial computational sensor design is established by hyperelastic model that governs the mechanical characterization, machine learning models for computational sensing, and graphical user interface to provide visual cues. A exemplify grip measurement for left and right hands of seven elderly campus workers is conducted. By taking indicators of grip status as input parameters, human‐computer interactive games are incorporated into the computational sensor to improve the user compliance with measurement protocols. Two elderly female schizophrenic patients are participated in the real‐time interactive point‐of‐care grip assessment and training for potentially sarcopenia screening. The attractive features of this advanced intelligent metamaterial computational sensing system are crucial to establish a point‐of‐care biomechanical platform and advancing the human‐computer interactive healthcare, ultimately contributing to a global health ecosystem.

Keywords

• grip strength
• human‐computer interaction
• mechanical metamaterials
• piezoelectricity
• self‐powered sensing