Tactile Display for Sensory Feedback in a Prosthetic Hand System
Swedish researchers are attempting to overcome one of the main issues surrounding hand and forearm prosthetics, which is a lack of conscious sensory feedback. The proposed solution is a sensory feedback system utilizing a tactile display on the remaining section of the amputated limb providing an interface bridging the gap between the person and the machine. The system works by recording pressure in the hand prosthesis and relaying it to the skin of the forearm. The tactile input that would ordinarily be received by the hand is relocated to the forearm, which should provide a sense of the prosthetic being a part of the body, resulting in more frequent and more reliable use by the amputee.
The article goes into great detail regarding the technical aspects of the system. On the residual limb or forearm, a number of actuators will be placed corresponding to the number of missing digits in the hand. These actuators will house electronics and software capable of interacting with the prosthetic hand itself as well as an outside computer, in the interest of gathering research or for sensor calibration. When the prosthetic came in contact with a surface, the relationships between force, skin displacement, contact angle, and duration of contact were studied and factor into the resulting response relayed to the forearm. While sensory relay on a level of that possessed by a real hand is currently unobtainable, the rudimentary level of sensation provided by this device is a step forward in the realm of prosthetics.
This article was of interest to me because I find the thought of life-like prosthetics becoming a reality to be exciting. Bridging the gap between the biological and the mechanical and creating a cybernetic organism is both frightening and interesting in itself, and opens up a realm of questions about life in addition to providing better aid to amputees. Modern prosthetics currently attempt to provide some return to form or functionality, but their success in that regard is highly situational and variable, at best. Crafting a machine the accurately mimics a biological system is no small task, and integrating it with a living system is still very distant technology, but I believe it’s within our reach.
Link: http://www.biomedical-engineering-online.com/content/9/1/50
John Gruetzner
VTPP 434 - 501
The article goes into great detail regarding the technical aspects of the system. On the residual limb or forearm, a number of actuators will be placed corresponding to the number of missing digits in the hand. These actuators will house electronics and software capable of interacting with the prosthetic hand itself as well as an outside computer, in the interest of gathering research or for sensor calibration. When the prosthetic came in contact with a surface, the relationships between force, skin displacement, contact angle, and duration of contact were studied and factor into the resulting response relayed to the forearm. While sensory relay on a level of that possessed by a real hand is currently unobtainable, the rudimentary level of sensation provided by this device is a step forward in the realm of prosthetics.
This article was of interest to me because I find the thought of life-like prosthetics becoming a reality to be exciting. Bridging the gap between the biological and the mechanical and creating a cybernetic organism is both frightening and interesting in itself, and opens up a realm of questions about life in addition to providing better aid to amputees. Modern prosthetics currently attempt to provide some return to form or functionality, but their success in that regard is highly situational and variable, at best. Crafting a machine the accurately mimics a biological system is no small task, and integrating it with a living system is still very distant technology, but I believe it’s within our reach.
Link: http://www.biomedical-engineering-online.com/content/9/1/50
John Gruetzner
VTPP 434 - 501
posted by John Gruetzner at 3:54 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home