ADCOMP · Development of a new method to increase the degrees of freedom of myoelectric upper-limb prostheses and construction of a new neuromuscular model to improve their controllability
FP6 — Marie Curie Actions (Human Resources and Mobility)
- Duration
- 2006-04-01 → 2008-03-31
- EU contribution
- €151,854
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- EIF
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Final Activity Report Summary - ADCOMP (Development of a new method to increase the degrees of freedom of myoelectric upper-limb prostheses and construction of a new neuromuscular model ...)
In spite of highly sophisticated robotic hands currently available (some of them nearly as dexterous as the human hand), hand prostheses commercially available are still quite simple device that features only one or two degrees of freedom (controllable joints). This is due to the fact that there is not yet a natural an intuitive way of controlling them, being normally necessary a computer to take care of their operation. A possibility to overcome this problem is to use the tiny electrical signals produced by active muscles (electromyogram - EMG); but the EMG signal coming from one muscles is disturbed by the signals coming from adjacent muscles, so it is not clear enough as to use it for controlling. The proposed solution consists in the use of advanced signal processing techniques to obtain a clear and well-defined EMG signal from each muscle. The results obtained were quite promising, but not robust enough yet as to be of use for the daily control of a prosthetic hand. Further research is needed.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
Prostheses are artificial replacements of body parts that have been removed, e.g., by amputation following a traumatic event or a disease. Currently, three types of prosthetic hands are commercially available;- cosmetic: passive devices with a simple aesthetic purpose,- body-powered: powered and controlled by body movements, generally by shoulder or back muscles, and- myoelectric: electrically powered and controlled by electromyographic signals, which are the weak electrical signals produced by contracting muscles.These devices are still too simple to mimic the functionality of the natural lost limb because they have only one or two degrees of freedom (d.o.f.s), which allow a very limited variety of movements. In addition, their control is just in o n/off or in simple proportional mode, which is quite far from the natural way of controlling movements.On the contrary, robotics hands are highly sophisticated devices with several d.o.f.s; however, they are unsuitable as prosthesis due to their rather bul ky size and control complexity. The aim of this multidisciplinary project is to construct an innovative type of myoelectric prosthetic hand bearing a superior functionality and a simple controllability, providing upper-limb amputees with a device that will be the closest ever reached to the real human hand.To this end, a highly innovative biomimetic interdisciplinary approach will be used:- a novel model of the human neuromuscular system will be constructed using system identification tools to obtain a m ore natural movement and control of the fingers;- a powerful statistical technique (ICA) will be employed to increase the number of controlling signals obtained from the muscles of the subject's stump and thus the number of d.o.f.s, highly increasing the variety of movements and functionality of prosthetic hands.The same approach has the potential to be employed successfully also to increase the functionality of other assistive devices (exoskeletons).
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- SCUOLA SUPERIORE DI STUDI UNIVERSITARI E DI PERFEZIONAMENTO SANT'ANNA · PISACoordinatorItaly
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union