Soft and low cost artificial hand controlled in real time
Boston: The good news for people with disabilities around the world is that a soft, low-cost, and over-the-counter prosthetic arm has been developed that provides the wearer with information (textile feedback). does.
Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Jiaotong University in China have teamed up to create an artificial hand that will help hold and lift glass and other light objects. What is special about it is that the fingers of the hand are constantly stretched and contracted as needed.
Currently, more than 5 million people around the world are deprived of full or half arm, who face severe difficulties in their daily work.
Although there are many types of modern electric prosthetic hands available in the market that make the wearer feel something, they are very expensive and heavy. But this arm weighs only 225 grams and costs 500 500. In this way, many people in the world will be able to buy it to alleviate their disability to some extent.
The special feature is the fingers which are made of elastic elastomer which is available in the market under the name of Ecoflex. It includes bone-like structures. It has a palm from a 3D printer. In the next phase, small valves and pumps were installed inside the hands and fingers instead of motors. Thanks to them, air enters and the elastic material expands and shrinks as the air is drawn. But this process is done very carefully and the fingers spread and contract depending on the amount of air. The pneumatic system has very sensitive EMG sensors attached to the wrist.
To make this process possible, computer modeling has been used, after which the hand has been able to lift everything from a click to a glass. Here an algorithm increases or decreases the grip pressure depending on the intensity of the muscle signals. Different fingers can even add different amounts of pressure.
After preparation, two volunteers used it and experimented with handling items in five different ways. These included writing with a pen, stacking, lifting delicate objects, holding a heavy object, and other forms of grip. That is, it can be eaten by holding a soft cake and a hammer can also be lifted. It was then compared to the expensive prosthetic arms available in the market, and the volunteers described the invention of MIT as effective, if not better.
In the next step, the scientists closed the volunteers’ eyes and touched each of their fingers and asked if they could realize it. After that, bottles of different sizes were placed on their hands. Volunteers also gave the correct answer.
If this invention is introduced in the market after commercial experiments, it will soon take its place.
