This paper presents the design and testing of an artificial finger based partly on biomechanics. The prototype was manufactured in acrylonitrile butadiene styrene plastic using a rapid prototyping three-dimensional printer. The flexing of the finger was realized by Ni-Ti shape-memory alloy (SMA) wires with diameters of 0.3 mm, activated by resistive heating. The results obtained show the new prototype to be superior in performance, mainly in terms of angles of rotation of the phalanges, compared with some SMA fingers discussed in the literature.
Keywords: Artificial finger; Biomechanics; Robotic rehabilitation; Shape-memory alloys.
© 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and International Center for Artificial Organs and Transplantation.