Design and evaluation of a novel upper limb body-powered terminal device with voluntary opening and voluntary closing capabilities

The field of upper limb prosthetics focuses on the development of artificial replacement devices for upper limb loss, from partial finger loss to amputation of the entire arm at the shoulder. Hand and hook prostheses are designed to replace the functionality of a missing hand and can be powered either by external sources (e.g. electricity) or by...

Moving towards two-way control: Investigation of suitable movements generating inputs for two-way controlled upper-limb prostheses

An important advantage of body-powered prostheses, compared to other types of prostheses, is the presence of proprioceptive feedback. Proprioception makes it easier to perform goal directed movements. Body-powered prostheses (for transradial upper-limb amputees) used nowadays make use of one way control, which means that only the opening or the...

Design and Evaluation of a New Harnessing System for Body-Powered Prostheses

Body-powered prostheses are active upper limb prostheses that utilize harnessing of body movements to grasp objects. The high rejection rates (up to 45%) of body-powered prostheses indicate that users are not satisfied with their prostheses. One of the most prominent problems is the discomfort experienced while wearing and operating the...