Hybrid-Actuated Finger Prosthesis with Tactile Sensing

Finger prostheses are devices developed to emulate the functionality of natural human fingers. On top of their aesthetic appearance in terms of shape, size and colour, such biomimetic devices require a high level of dexterity. They must be capable of gripping an object, and even manipulating it in the hand. This paper presents a biomimetic robotic finger actuated by a hybrid mechanism and integrated with a tactile sensor. The hybrid actuation mechanism comprises a DC micromotor and a Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) wire. A customized test rig has been developed to measure the force and stroke produced by the SMA wire. In parallel with the actuator development, experimental investigations have been conducted on Quantum Tunnelling Composite (QTC) and Pressure Conductive Rubber (PCR) towards the development of a tactile sensor for the finger. The viability of using these materials for tactile sensing has been determined. Such a hybrid actuation approach aided with tactile sensing capability enables a finger design as an integral part of a prosthetic hand for applications up to the transradial amputation level.

[1]  Takao Someya,et al.  A large-area, flexible pressure sensor matrix with organic field-effect transistors for artificial skin applications. , 2004, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

[2]  Kevin J. MacKenzie,et al.  Finger length and distal finger extent patterns in humans. , 2002, American journal of physical anthropology.

[3]  Roseleena Jaafar,et al.  Development of UiTM Robotic Prosthetic Hand , 2013 .

[4]  Hong Liu,et al.  DLR-Hand II: next generation of a dextrous robot hand , 2001, Proceedings 2001 ICRA. IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (Cat. No.01CH37164).

[5]  Paolo Dario,et al.  Design and development of an underactuated prosthetic hand , 2002, Proceedings 2002 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (Cat. No.02CH37292).

[6]  Hugh Herr,et al.  Chapter 5 : Cyborg Technology-Biomimetic Orthotic and Prosthetic Technology , 2004 .

[7]  M. Shimojo,et al.  A tactile sensor sheet using pressure conductive rubber with electrical-wires stitched method , 2004, IEEE Sensors Journal.

[8]  José Luis Pons Rovira,et al.  The MANUS-HAND Dextrous Robotics Upper Limb Prosthesis: Mechanical and Manipulation Aspects , 2004, Auton. Robots.

[9]  M. Goldfarb,et al.  Design of a Multifunctional Anthropomorphic Prosthetic Hand With Extrinsic Actuation , 2009, IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics.

[10]  V. Maheshwari,et al.  High-Resolution Thin-Film Device to Sense Texture by Touch , 2006, Science.

[11]  Aiguo Ming,et al.  A net-structure tactile sensor covering free-form surface and ensuring high-speed response , 2007, 2007 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems.

[12]  Hong Liu,et al.  Multisensory five-finger dexterous hand: The DLR/HIT Hand II , 2008, 2008 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems.

[13]  Aaron M. Dollar,et al.  Performance characteristics of anthropomorphic prosthetic hands , 2011, 2011 IEEE International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics.

[14]  Giulio Sandini,et al.  Tactile Sensing—From Humans to Humanoids , 2010, IEEE Transactions on Robotics.

[15]  Kazuhiko Terashima,et al.  Modeling and massage control of human skin muscle by using multi-fingered robot hand , 2006, Integr. Comput. Aided Eng..

[16]  Janusz Zalewski,et al.  Kinematic model of 3D tactile sensing on robotic surfaces , 2006 .