Backstepping and Sliding Mode Control Hybridized for a Prosthetic Hand

Open loop and force controllers are compared experimentally with three robust parallel force-velocity controllers that are developed for a prosthetic hand. Robust sliding mode, backstepping, and hybrid sliding mode-backstepping (HSMBS) parallel force-velocity controllers are tested by ten able-bodied subjects. Results obtained with a myoelectrically controlled prosthesis indicate that all three robust controllers offer a statistically significant improvement over linear hand prosthesis control schemes. The robust controllers enable the human operators to more easily manipulate a delicate object. Bench top experiments combined with quantitative and qualitative evaluations from ten test subjects reveal the HSMBS controller to be the best choice to improve control of powered prosthetic hands.