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Design of a lightweight hydraulic myoelectric prosthetic hand

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Abstract

Purpose

There are several hand prostheses available in the market, each with its advantages and disadvantages. Some modern commercial prostheses have weights close or higher than the human hand weight causing discomfort and stress to the patient that decides to use this technology. On the other hand, high-tech hand prostheses are expensive and, therefore, inaccessible to the majority of the population. This paper aims to present the design and prototype of a low-cost, hydraulic, lightweight, and myoelectric prosthetic hand.

Methods

The parametric mechanical design of the hand prostheses was done using the software Inventor and Adams in order to permit its customization and to optimize the pressure in the hydraulic system. Also, the stress analysis was performed using the Finite Element Method, and from the results, the appropriate materials were chosen to support the loads. Most of the components were manufactured using Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) polymer through of Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) process, in a 3D printer. The Arduino platform was adopted for the electronic design, and the shields for electromyographic signals acquisition and motor control resulted in a compact, flexible and reliable architecture.

Results

A prototype of a low-cost, hydraulic, lightweight, and myoelectric prosthetic hand was designed and built. The prototype has 225 g and 10 degrees of freedom, letting it be 43% lighter than the natural hand weight, and to do several types of grips with force and velocity control. Also, for the manufacturing process, US$ 1250.00 was spent which is lower than the price of similar commercial prostheses.

Conclusion

The prototype presented is an attractive economic and technical alternative to accomplish most of the day-to-day activities of the prosthetic user in comparison with several modern commercial prostheses.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Polytechnic School of Pernambuco, University of Pernambuco, Rua Benfica, 455, Recife, PE, Brazil

    Francisco Gilfran A. Milfont & Luis A. Gómez-Malagón

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  1. Francisco Gilfran A. Milfont
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  2. Luis A. Gómez-Malagón
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Correspondence to Francisco Gilfran A. Milfont.

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Milfont, F.G.A., Gómez-Malagón, L.A. Design of a lightweight hydraulic myoelectric prosthetic hand. Res. Biomed. Eng. 37, 867–879 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42600-021-00185-w

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