Vibrotactile Haptic and Gesture Feedback in a Smartwatch for Controlling a Multi-Activity Powered Knee-Ankle...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Rehabilitation Technology
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Powered lower-limb prostheses require seamless mode transitions for diverse daily activities.
• Existing transition methods can be slow, cumbersome, lack discretion, or reduce user agency.
• Real-world adoption necessitates intuitive and reliable prosthesis control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a smartwatch application for wireless control of powered lower-limb prosthesis activity modes.
• To provide users with intuitive and predictable control over their prosthesis.
• To enhance user agency in prosthesis operation.

Main Methods:

• A smartwatch application was developed for wireless control of prosthesis activity modes.
• Users initiate mode transitions via a swipe gesture on the smartwatch.
• The system provides vibrotactile haptic and visual feedback to confirm mode changes.

Main Results:

• A single transfemoral amputee participant successfully used the smartwatch application.
• The participant navigated a multi-activity circuit using the powered knee-ankle prosthesis.
• The smartwatch application demonstrated viability for controlling prosthesis activity modes.

Conclusions:

• A smartwatch application offers a viable solution for user-controlled activity mode transitions in powered lower-limb prostheses.
• This approach enhances user agency and predictability for real-world prosthesis use.
• Further research can explore broader user populations and diverse activities.