Design and Experiments on a Novel Biomechatronic Hand

: An "ideal" upper limb prosthesis should be perceived as part of the natural body by the amputee and should replicate sensory-motor capabilities of the amputated limb. However, such an ideal "cybernetic" prosthesis is still far from reality: current prosthetic hands are simple grippers with one or two degrees of freedom, which barely restore the capability of the thumb-index pinch. This paper describes the design and fabrication of a novel prosthetic hand based on a "biomechatronic" and cybernetic approach. Our approach is aimed at providing "natural" sensory-motor co-ordination to the amputee, by integrating biomimetic mechanisms, sensors, actuators and control, and by interfacing the hand with the peripheral nervous system.

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2000
• Where: ISER
• Authors: Paolo Dario, Maria Chiara Carrozza, Silvestro Micera, B. Massa, Massimiliano Zecca
• Keywords: Current Prosthetic Hands, ISER 2000, Prosthetic Hand, Robotics, Upper Limb Prosthesis