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Updated: Jul 10, 2026
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A Flexible Wearable Supernumerary Robotic Limb for Chronic Stroke Patients
Published on: October 27, 2023
Liquid-fueled actuation for an anthropomorphic upper extremity prosthesis.
Kevin B Fite1, Thomas J Withrow, Keith W Wait
1Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37265, USA. kevin.fite@vanderbilt.edu
Summary
This study presents a 21-degree-of-freedom, gas-actuated prosthetic arm for transhumeral amputees. The advanced prosthetic arm offers near-anatomical dexterity and on-board power for untethered use.
Area of Science:
- Robotics
- Biomedical Engineering
- Prosthetics
Background:
- Transhumeral amputations necessitate advanced prosthetic solutions.
- Existing prosthetics often lack the dexterity and untethered functionality of biological limbs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and describe a novel 21-degree-of-freedom, gas-actuated prosthetic arm.
- To achieve anthropomorphic dexterity and on-board power for untethered operation.
Main Methods:
- Development of a gas-actuated system with a direct-drive elbow and multi-DOF wrist and hand.
- Integration of a monopropellant-powered gas generator for on-board power.
- Design of compact joints with integrated position sensing and low-power servovalves.
Main Results:
- The prosthetic arm prototype features 21 degrees of freedom and 9 degrees of actuation.
- It incorporates full position and force sensing for each actuated degree of freedom.
- The device approaches human-like dexterous manipulation capabilities, with approximately 50% of human force and power output.
Conclusions:
- The designed prosthetic arm offers a significant advancement in untethered, dexterous upper-limb prosthetics.
- The integrated on-board power and anthropomorphic design address key limitations of current prosthetic technologies.
