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Published on: May 23, 2019
Enhanced visual feedback for slip prevention with a prosthetic hand
Erik D Engeberg1, Sanford Meek
1University of Akron, Mechanical Engineering Department, ASEC, Room 113 Akron, OH 44325-3903, USA. engeberg@uakron
Prosthetics and Orthotics International
|March 10, 2012
Summary
Upper limb amputees can now better control prosthetic hands using visual grip force feedback. This new technique significantly reduces object breakage when grasping brittle items.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Prosthetics
Background:
- Upper limb amputees lack direct grip force sensation from prosthetic hands, hindering precise object manipulation.
- Visually assessing grip force is challenging, especially with rigid objects that show minimal deformation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of visual grip force display for improving prosthetic hand object grasping.
- To determine if visual feedback enhances control for upper limb amputees.
Main Methods:
- An experimental controlled trial utilized a prosthetic hand with a visual force feedback system (bicolor LED).
- Able-bodied subjects performed tasks with a brittle object, comparing a hybrid force-velocity sliding mode controller with and without visual feedback.
Main Results:
- The visual force feedback system led to a statistically significant reduction in object breakage.
- Subjective evaluations and success rates confirmed the usefulness of the additional visual feedback.
Conclusions:
- Visual grip force feedback effectively aids in manipulating brittle objects for prosthetic users.
- This noninvasive, economical visual feedback technique offers significant improvements for handling delicate items.
