Simulation For Biomechatronic Prosthetic Hand

The underactuated mechanisms are widely used in the design and development of prosthetic hands. In this thesis, a simulation system for underactuated EMG-controlled prosthetic hands is introduced. The simulation system can be used for computer-aided analysis of the kinematics and the force/torque distribution properties, and for computer-aided design of the underactuated hand. In addition, the system provides an experimental environment for the development of bio/machine interface, which is the key functional module of a biomechatronic hand. The primary contributions of the thesis are summarized as follows:First, the kinematic and static models of linkage-type underactuated prosthetic hand are derived. The models have been used for the implementation of the simulation system. The factors which influence the force distribution properties of the underactuated hand is investigated.Second, the bio-signal (EMG) acquisition and processing software system is developed. The communication between the prosthetic hand and the computer is implemented via USB. The system is comprised of the DSP firmware and PC application software. The feature-extraction and pattern classification algorithms are also developed and embedded in the system.Last, using the simulation system and the signal acquisition/processing system, an online experimental setup is developed. The experimental setup can simulate the process how the human beings control the manipulation of prosthetic hands via EMG signals. The bio/machine interface is capable of collecting the EMG signals from the forearm, decode the motion attention of the human beings, and generate the motion command to control the manipulation of the virtual prosthetic hand.The simulation system provides a computer-aided tool for the development of underactuated prosthetic hand, as well as the bio/machine interface.