Active upper limb prostheses: a review on current state and upcoming breakthroughs.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Rehabilitation Technology
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Prosthetic users face device limitations impacting daily activities.
• Bionic hands need to be functional and embodied to prevent abandonment.
• Effective prosthetic solutions require consideration of user-centered design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current issues in upper limb prosthetics.
• To envision future breakthroughs in bionic hand technology.
• To promote interdisciplinary efforts for prosthetic innovation.

Main Methods:

• Defining input/feedback sources for system control.
• Analyzing algorithms for signal processing.
• Focusing on user-centered design strategies for technology acceptance and embodiment.

Main Results:

• Overview of state-of-the-art bionic hand features.
• Identification of challenges in human-machine integration.
• Emphasis on co-adaptive processes for improved prosthetic use.

Conclusions:

• Holistic comprehension and improvement of bionic hand design require transdisciplinary efforts.
• Moving beyond tool development towards human-centered artificial limbs.
• Innovations should prioritize technology acceptance, embodiment, and seamless human-machine integration.