A BIOMECHATRONIC APPLICATION ON PROSTHETICS FOR UNDERGRADUATE ENGINEERING STUDENTS

Year 2016, Volume: 4 , 461 - 464, 01.09.2016

Faruk Ortes Hasan Kemal Surmen Yunus Ziya Arslan

Abstract

Human
hand prosthetics imply a great challenge to researchers to help regaining the
lost motor functions for amputated people. A relatively high amount of labor
and budget are required to reach the ordinary prosthetics for amputees.
Improvement of assistive technologies has provided to design and manufacture
more functional hand prosthetics. Novel tools employed in assistive technology
including 3-dimensional printers and user-friendly electronics complementary
devices have made a great contribution to prosthetics area with fast and cost effective
solutions. Although a significant development of technical facilities has been
occurred, prosthetic hands with high functionality could not gain wide currency
since the manufacturing and design processes require more educated engineers
and biomechanicsts. Introducing the design and manufacturing steps of
prosthetics for educational purposes in engineering and life sciences could be
very effective in order to ease accessing the more functional prosthetics and
to increase the prevalence of use. Education of new methodology and devices
provides crucial opportunities to enhance the ability and usage of new
generation prosthetics. In this study, a prosthetic hand design, control and
manufacturing implementations were carried out by undergraduate students in the
context of dissertation study. The custom based human hand prosthetics was
manufactured according to following steps. Three-dimensional CAD models of
prosthetic hand components including palm and fingers were designed in a solid
body modeling software. Then, the model parts were printed using 3-D printers
and they were assembled. The forces were transmitted to the fingers via elastic
strings which were controlled via Arduino controlled servo motor. The
programmable motions of servo motors enable to direct control of fingers.
Specific education on design, manufacturing and control of human prosthetics
has the potential to provide a high impact on obtaining more functional and
cost effective prosthetics which enables more people to regain their lost motor
patterns.

Keywords

Assistive technologies, human hand prosthetics, science and engineering education

References

• Kyberd, P. J. & Evans, M. & Winkel, S. (1998). An lntelligent Anthropomorphic Hand with Automatic Grasp. Robotica, Vol.16, pp 531-536. Carrozza, M. C. & Cappiello, G. & Micera, S. & Edin, B. B. & Beccai, L. & Cipriani, C. (2006). Design of a cybernetic hand for perception and action. Biol. Cybern., vol. 95, no. 6, pp. 629–644. Touch Bionics Inc., “www.touchbionics.com,” 2009. DEKA Research and Development Corp., www.dekaresearch.com, 2008. Zecca, M. & Micera, S. & Carrozza, M. C. & Dario, P. (2002). Control of multifunctional prosthetic hands by processing the electromyographic signal.Critical Reviews in Biomedical Engineering, vol. 30, no. 4–6,pp. 459–485. Peltola, S.M. & Melchels, F. P. W. & Grijpma, D. W. , & Kellomäki M. (2008). A review of rapid prototyping techniques for tissue engineering purposes. Ann Med 40:268–280. Yeong, W. Y. & Chua, C. K. & Leong, K. F. & Chandrasekaran, M. (2004). Rapid prototyping in tissue engineering: challenges and potential. Trends Biotechnol. 22, 643–652. Lantada, A. D. & Morgado, P. L. (2012). Rapid prototyping for biomedical engineering: current capabilities and challenges. Annu. Rev. bioeng. 14, 73–96. Subburaj, K. & Nair, C. & Rajesh, S. & Meshram, S. & Ravi, B. (2007). Rapid development of auricular prosthesis using CAD and rapid proto- typing technologies. Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg 36:938–943. Lee, M. & Chang, C. & Ku, Y. (2008). New layer-based imaging and rapid prototyping techniques for computer-aided design and manufacture of custom dental restoration. J Med Eng Technol 32:83–90. http://enablingthefuture.org/