Control of proportional grasping using a myokinemetric signal

Abstract

A myokinemetric transducer has been developed whose output changes with the change in cross-sectional area of the finger flexor muscles associated with the collective movement of the anatomical fingers, about their metacarpo-phalangeal joints. This transducer, in association with a specially developed control program, can synchronise the grasp angle of a prosthetic hand with the anatomical hand during several grasping cycles. Experimental results from this study imply that the accuracy of replication of the anatomical grasp angle by the prosthetic prehensor is sufficient to consider using a similar method for proportional control of artificial prehension.