Design and Development of Low Cost, Wireless Controlled, 3D Prosthetic Hand using Flex Sensors

Abstract

In this modern world, the prosthetics are playing a vivid role in bringing ease and comfort to the handicapped persons. This work presents the design and development of a 3D prosthetic hand model equipped with the flex sensors in order to generate the human hand replica for a person with no hand. In addition to that, this work also presents the wireless control (select and place) of the prosthetic hand through Radio Frequency. The use of low cost flex sensors for the positioning of fingers and to add handgrip control in the prosthetic hand, makes the whole design cost efficient. From the working perspective, the resistance of the flex sensor varies differently for each finger’s movements, and this variation in the resistance is then utilized effectively to control the robotic hand. It is worth mentioning here that the inclusion of flex sensors is very beneficial from the economical point of view because it provides low cost solution as compared to existing costly technologies of prosthetics.