Hierarchical Human-Inspired Control Strategies for Prosthetic Hands

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Robotics
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Human hand function is crucial for daily activities.
• Hand loss severely impacts autonomy and daily living capabilities.
• Current commercial prosthetic hands offer limited, non-intuitive control (e.g., proportional, on/off).

Purpose of the Study:

• To review control strategies for active prosthetic hands.
• To analyze hierarchical or multiple-layer control structures.
• To identify critical aspects and limitations of current prosthetic hand control.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of prosthetic hand control strategies.
• Analysis of existing control laws and their effectiveness.
• Evaluation of human function replication in prosthetic devices.

Main Results:

• Current prosthetic control strategies are often unnatural and unintuitive.
• Commercial prostheses are frequently abandoned due to poor control.
• A significant gap exists between replicated and actual human hand functions.

Conclusions:

• Developing intuitive control laws is the primary challenge for prosthetic hands.
• Hierarchical control structures show promise for improved functionality.
• Suggestions are provided for designing advanced control strategies to mimic human hand functions.