University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Development of a low-cost high-impact resistant compliant myoelectric prosthetic hand

Choi, Kyung Yun

Content Files
CHOI-THESIS-2017.pdf
Video4_1.mp4
Video4_2.mp4

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/97463

Description

Title
Development of a low-cost high-impact resistant compliant myoelectric prosthetic hand
Author(s)
Choi, Kyung Yun
Issue Date
2017-04-28
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Bretl, Timothy Wolfe
Department of Study
Aerospace Engineering
Discipline
Aerospace Engineering
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
M.S.
Degree Level
Thesis
Date of Ingest
2017-08-10T19:16:05Z
Keyword(s)
  • Robotic hand
  • Myoelectric hand
  • Prosthetic hand
  • Compliant mechanism
  • Soft robotics
  • Manufacturing
  • Fabrication
  • 3D printing
  • Additive manufacturing
  • Low-cost
  • Open source
  • Sensory feedback
  • Design
Abstract
Repeated mechanical failure due to accidental impact and lack of sensory feedback are one of the main reasons why people with upper-limb amputations abandon commercially-available prosthetic hands. To address this problem, this thesis presents the design and evaluation of a compliant four-bar linkage mechanism that makes the fingers of a prosthetic hand more impact resistant and the integration of electromyographic (EMG) motor control and sensory substitution. The mechanism of our design replaces both the rigid input and coupler links with a monolithic compliant bone, and replaces the follower link with three layers of pre-stressed spring steel. This design behaves like a conventional four-bar linkage but adds lateral compliance and eliminates a pin joint, which is a main site of failure on impact. We introduce the fabrication process of the compliant finger and palm that enables the 3-D printed low-cost prosthetic hand to be impact resistant. This fabrication process and hand design enables the development of the prosthetic hand to be low-cost, light-weight, and easy to assemble and reproducible. Results from free-end and fixed-end impact tests show that, compared to those made with a conventional four-bar linkage, fingers made with our design absorb up to 11 % more energy on impact with no mechanical failure. Also our hand showed that it has grasping performance comparable to commercially-available hands. We also evaluate the sensorimotor capabilites of our hand with a subject with a transradial amputation. We show that using contact reflexes and sensory substitution, when compared to standard myoelectric prostheses that lack these features, improves grasping of delicate objects like an eggshell and a cup of water both with and without visual feedback. Our hand is easily integrated into standard sockets, facilitating long-term testing of sensorimotor capabilities.
Graduation Semester
2017-05
Type of Resource
text
Permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/97463
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2017 Kyung Yun Choi

Owning Collections

Graduate Dissertations and Theses at Illinois PRIMARY
Graduate Theses and Dissertations at Illinois
Dissertations and Theses - Aerospace Engineering