Robotic thumb grasp-based range of motion optimisation

Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2013:2013:3163-6. doi: 10.1109/EMBC.2013.6610212.

Abstract

With the thumb serving an important role in the function of the human hand, improving robotic prosthetic thumb functionality will have a direct impact on the prosthesis itself. So far, no significant work exists that examines the ranges of motion a prosthetic thumb should exhibit; many myoelectric prostheses arbitrarily select them. We question this design practice as we expect a significant functional volume reduction for performing certain activities vs. the maximum obtainable workspace. To this end, we compare and contrast four anatomically-accurate thumb models. We quantify their angular ranges of motion by generating point clouds of end-effector positions, and by computing their alpha-shape bounded volumes. Examining the function of the thumb for several grasps, we identify a 76% reduction of the required workspace volume vis-a-vis the maximum volume of a "'generic'" human thumb.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biomechanical Phenomena
  • Hand Strength* / physiology
  • Humans
  • Models, Anatomic
  • Range of Motion, Articular*
  • Robotics / methods*
  • Thumb* / physiology