Prosthetic Control Systems

Abstract

Motions of the human limbs are controlled by a neuromotor system (NMS), which operates similarly to that of a thermostat. Setting the thermostat to a specific temperature activates the HVAC system to add or subtract heat from the room to reach the desired temperature. The accuracy and efficiency of the thermostat determines how closely the temperature follows the command. In the case of limb positioning, as the human selects an object or target position, her NMS registers its coordinates in space and executes a sequence of muscular activations to position the hand at or near the exact location, depending on the integrity of the control. This chapter describes the details and implementation of motor control systems.