Abstract

Multi-degree of freedom (DoF) myoelectric hands, which are powered prosthetic hand controlled by electromyogram (EMG), are not yet applied to upper-limb-deficient children because of there being another problems in adult. Since these hands should be made very small and light, it causes weakness of structure such as joint axis damage by too large external force in daily life. Also congenital upper-limb-deficient children have no image to move deficient hand and because of not being able to dictate to infants who lack in communication skill, allocate EMG feature based on one's own will to motion of myoelectric hands is difficult In this study, we developed smaller sized multi-DoF myoelectric hand system with dislocating mechanism, which is constructed by connecting dactylus-parts with spring, like human fingers joint In addition, we developed method of controlling robot hand motion which allocate worked out EMG feature by vector quantization in free motion to robot hand motion by architect who aren't wearer. As a result, we made the prototype of multi-DoF myoelectric hands Its total weight of myoelectric hand system is lighter than healthy children hand, including battery. Although its grip force is weaker than coeval children gripping force, robot hand for myoelectric hand has robust joint mechanism which is dislocated by too large external force, and defends itself In addition we made a controlling system in which man learns a control rule and adapt to myoelectric hands. The effectiveness of controlling system is confirmed by applying to an infant.