Anthropomorphic Prosthetic Hand Inspired by Efficient Swing Mechanics for Sports Activities

Swinging-generating high impact by maximizing the speed of motion-is essential in sports activities. However, designing prosthetic hands suitable for swinging is still a challenge. Herein, in this article, we propose a swing-dedicated prosthetic hand that adopts the anatomical features of humans for an efficient swing. Our design, inspired by the joint arthrokinematics and tendon routing of fingers, enables a diagonal power “squeeze” grip robust to impact while increasing the reach of the clubhead. The swing speed is further increased by radio/ulnar deviation of the wrist and its nonlinear stiffness change achieved by the passive clutch mechanism. We evaluated our prosthetic hand through golf and found that it sustained high impact with diagonal grip, and clubhead speed increased by 19% at 90 r/min, with the radio/ulnar deviation nonlinearly correlated with arm angle. Our prosthetic hand design will contribute to improving amputees’ quality of life by allowing them to participate in sports activities.