A Human hand model to simulate Man-machine interactions in virtual environments

Virtual Reality techniques allow us to interact with life-like models and environments in safety. In this work, we propose a Human hand model in order to simulate Man-machine interactions in virtual environments.
Our virtual hand is a multilayer model made up of a rigid skeleton with simple primitives, a deformable layer for the soft tissues and a deformable mesh for the skin. It is articulated by 26 DOFs. The skeleton is controlled by motion capture data thanks to a virtual coupling that acts like a spring and damper between the user's hand and the virtual hand.
We have coupled our virtual hand with a virtual press-brake developed by the French Institute of Research and Safety (INRS). It allows the user to interact in real time with the virtual complex environment. Objects manipulation or bending tasks are simulated in the Virtual Reality platform of the INRS. Thanks to the integration of the work situation model and the dynamic risk index implemented by the INRS, we are able to estimate the degree of hazard of a given simulated situation and by the way to inform the user about the risk in real time.
All of the developed models in this research offer interesting future issues to address in the case of Man-machine interactions in virtual environments.