Development of a multi-DoF transhumeral robotic arm prosthesis

Abstract

An anthropomorphic transhumeral robotic arm prosthesis is proposed in this study. It is capable of generating fifteen degrees-of-freedom, seven active and eight passive. In order to realize wrist motions, a parallel manipulator-based mechanism is proposed. It simulates the human anatomical structure and generates motions in two axes. The hand-of-arm prosthesis consists of under-actuated fingers with intrinsic actuation. The finger mechanism is capable of generating three degrees of freedom, and it exhibits the capability of adjusting the joint angles passively according to the geometry of the grasping object. Additionally, a parameter to evaluate finger mechanisms is introduced, and it measures the adoptability of a finger mechanism. In order to verify the mechanism's efficacy in terms of motion generation, motion simulation and kinematic analysis were carried out. Results demonstrated that the mechanisms are capable of generating the required motions.

Keywords: Finger mechanism; Hand prosthesis; Transhumeral prosthesis; Under-actuation.