Towards user-centered design of a robotic prosthetic hand with EMG control interfaces

Abstract

We present the design evolution of robotic prosthetic hands at WPI over the last couple years. Following a user-centered design approach, we have identified a series of requirements that good prosthetic hand designs should have. We describe in detail the mechanical, electrical, and software subsystems of each hand, and the relative advantages and disadvantages of the design decisions made during the development phases. In addition, we describe, in depth, our work towards an intuitive and high bandwidth EMG interface for assistive products. We compare various amplifiers and their performance for our implementation of an EMG interface.