Task-Oriented Design of a Multi-Degree of Freedom Upper Limb Prosthesis With Integrated Myocontrol and Sensory Feedback

Despite the progresses in upper limb prosthetic technologies of the past decades, there is still a large gap between the user needs and the available devices. Here, we describe the design and validation of a fully integrated, multi-degree of freedom upper limb prosthetic system designed on the basis of user survey studies. The system has five degrees of actuation, a combination of direct and under-actuated activation to produce the grasping/pinching force to perform activities of daily living, an active wrist, a closed-loop tactile biofeedback system, and simultaneous/proportional myoelectric control. The aforementioned features have been successfully integrated into a standalone prosthetic system. The system has been tested for its capacity to reproduce the human grasp when manipulating objects common in daily living. Moreover, the system underwent standardized clinical tests, showing a significant decrease in both shoulder and trunk compensatory movements with respect to a state-of-the-art commercial prosthesis.