ABSTRACT
Drive-by-wire technology enables braking and accelerating by hand. Operating the hand brake is essentially a multi-finger force synergy task. Few studies have been conducted on precision grip involving all the fingers of one hand or both hands when manipulating an object of irregular shape. This study examined the effects of target force level, numbers of hands used in the task, grip posture, grip duration, and training on hand-operated control device operation. Age and gender effects have also been investigated. The results showed that target force level, hand used in the task, grip posture and grip duration had the significant impact on the grip force coordination. With the development of digital human modeling and digital human simulation, analysis tools that facilitate prediction of variations in human performance and vehicle control based on modem design conditions can be useful for future designers before first physical mockups.
