Design and characterization of a powered elbow prosthesis

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Robotics
• Biomechatronics

Background:

• Limited functionality of current prosthetic limbs.
• Need for advanced powered prostheses mimicking natural limb capabilities.
• Challenges in designing compact and powerful prosthetic components.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and describe a novel powered elbow prosthesis.
• To achieve anthropomorphic size and mass with high torque and speed capabilities.
• To enable natural limb function for activities of daily living.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a belt and cable drive transmission.
• Incorporated a brushless DC motor for actuation.
• Focused on maintaining anthropomorphic dimensions and mass.
• Measured output torque, backdrive torque, and speed.

Main Results:

• Achieved an output torque of approximately 18.4 Nm.
• Reached a backdrive torque of 1.5 Nm.
• Attained a maximum speed of up to 360 deg/s.
• Maintained anthropomorphic mass and size constraints.

Conclusions:

• The designed powered elbow prosthesis meets key performance metrics.
• The prosthesis's capabilities are commensurate with natural limb function for daily activities.
• This design represents a significant advancement in upper limb prosthetics.