Biomimetic Strategies of Slip Sensing, Perception, and Protection in Prosthetic Hand Grasp

Area of Science:

• Biomimetics and Robotics
• Neuroprosthetics
• Rehabilitation Engineering

Background:

• Prosthetic hands lack natural sensory feedback, hindering grasp stability and leading to object slips.
• Restoring sensorimotor pathways is crucial for intuitive and effective prosthetic control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a biomimetic system for slip prevention in prosthetic hand grasps.
• To restore biologically inspired sensorimotor pathways between prosthetic hands and users.

Main Methods:

• A Ruffini endings-like slip sensor detects shear forces and slip events.
• Bi-state sensory coding evokes tactile sensations (vibration, buzz) via transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS).
• A neuromorphic reflex pathway provides short-latency grip force compensation.

Main Results:

• Slip events were detected with 96.57% accuracy.
• Reflex compensation resulted in faster grasp adjustments (median response time 0.30s).
• Prosthetic grip force closely correlated with intact hand grip force (96.85% correlation).

Conclusions:

• Biomimetic sensorimotor pathways can be effectively reconstructed for prosthetic users.
• The developed system enhances grasp stability and provides naturalistic sensory feedback.
• This approach offers a feasible solution for improving prosthetic hand functionality.