Development a Myoelectric Prosthetic Hand for Partial Hand Amputees to Use Successfully Remaining Finger -Proposal of the Design Method for Mechanical System and Control System and Prototype -

Abstract

In this paper, we proposed the design method of myoelectric prosthetic hand for partial hand amputees to substitute function of the movement of the disarticulating finger and to utilize a function of the movement of remaining fingers. Problems for designing myoelectric prosthetic hand for partial hand amputees exists in mechanical system design and control system design. In the problem of mechanical system design, a socket is designed so as to fit a shape of amputation stump, and a grasping mechanics is contained within an appearance of healthy hand shape by using measured 3D data of healthy hand based on the framework of digital engineering. The control system is designed to extract the only electromyogram related to moving the disarticulating finger from measured all electromyogram by using the neural network, and electromyogram has been successfully applied to control a motorized hand. Next, we prototyped myoelectric prosthetic hand with the proposed design method. Finally, availability of grasping and manipulation of the prototype was evaluated and contained by using the Pick-and-place experiment.