Honors College Senior Thesis Presentations
Design to Accomplish Responsive Feedback in Picking Up an Object with a Prosthetic Hand
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Senior
Major
Engineering Physics
2nd Student Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Senior
2nd Student Major
Engineering Physics
3rd Student Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Senior
3rd Student Major
Engineering Physics
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Michael Siebold, PhD; James Rogers, PhD
Presentation Format
Oral Presentation
Abstract/Description
The goal of this project was to make improvements to the last iteration of the prosthetic hand. There is a demand for a design of a predominantly 3D printed prosthetic hand that offers more independent movement and a gripping action that is controlled. There is no requirement for high computation power to receive inputs of complex information pieces and process them at once. Instead, a user interface is to be included to activate the hand’s gripping action. Communication of how to control the grip is achieved by employing a force sensor to monitor the force being applied to the object. The team has designed a finger concept which will utilize two different four-bar mechanisms to allow for the movement of the distal, middle, and proximal phalanges. The design will also include a thumb which can be rotated inward to be opposed to the fingers. Movement was decided to be achieved by these four-bar linkages and four small motors. A mathematical approach was taken to begin the design process, as variables such as force and torque were necessary for selecting the motors and sensor. An rechargeable battery will power the prosthetic hand. The battery has a lifespan of 14 hours with a constant grip at full force and 35 hours when the load is active for 10 hours. Additionally, the team adds additional degrees of freedom to the prosthetic by using a movable wrist joint. With this design, the team will create a prosthetic hand that can grasp a multitude of objects, maintains a similarity to human biology, and is easily operable. With the final design budget of $2,000, there are several employment options available for all the design solutions to accomplish this goal.
Spring Scholars Week 2023 Event
Honors College Senior Thesis Presentations
Design to Accomplish Responsive Feedback in Picking Up an Object with a Prosthetic Hand
The goal of this project was to make improvements to the last iteration of the prosthetic hand. There is a demand for a design of a predominantly 3D printed prosthetic hand that offers more independent movement and a gripping action that is controlled. There is no requirement for high computation power to receive inputs of complex information pieces and process them at once. Instead, a user interface is to be included to activate the hand’s gripping action. Communication of how to control the grip is achieved by employing a force sensor to monitor the force being applied to the object. The team has designed a finger concept which will utilize two different four-bar mechanisms to allow for the movement of the distal, middle, and proximal phalanges. The design will also include a thumb which can be rotated inward to be opposed to the fingers. Movement was decided to be achieved by these four-bar linkages and four small motors. A mathematical approach was taken to begin the design process, as variables such as force and torque were necessary for selecting the motors and sensor. An rechargeable battery will power the prosthetic hand. The battery has a lifespan of 14 hours with a constant grip at full force and 35 hours when the load is active for 10 hours. Additionally, the team adds additional degrees of freedom to the prosthetic by using a movable wrist joint. With this design, the team will create a prosthetic hand that can grasp a multitude of objects, maintains a similarity to human biology, and is easily operable. With the final design budget of $2,000, there are several employment options available for all the design solutions to accomplish this goal.