The development of a novel biomechatronic hand-ongoing research and preliminary results

An ideal upper limb prosthesis should be perceived as part of the natural body by the amputee and should replicate sensory-motor capabilities of the amputated limb. However, such an ideal cybernetic prosthesis is still far from reality: current prosthetic hands are simple grippers with one or two degrees of freedom, which barely restore the capability of the thumb-index pinch. The paper describes the design and fabrication of a prosthetic hand based on a biomechatronic and cybernetic approach. Our approach is aimed at providing natural sensory-motor coordination to the amputee, by integrating biomimetic mechanisms, sensors, actuators and control, and by interfacing the hand with the peripheral nervous system.