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performed times in line with the average on all tasks, with
the exception of a slight delay in the carry task, as explained previously. Furthermore, our pilot was one of only
two competitors to complete all six tasks. An element that had
great influence on our pilot's performance was the emotional factor. The Cybathlon challenges both pilots and
their technologies, but pilots are not trained athletes, so
the emotional component should be evaluated. In the first
race, our pilot also had difficulty with the can opener task
that was performed better in the second race. The C-PAPR
results, especially in light of the pilot's limited training with
the device, illustrate the utility and intuitiveness of the
SHPH system.
Comparison with a BP Hook
The training performed for the preparation of our pilot
for the Cybathlon 2016 tasks allowed us to conduct a
brief comparison between our pilot's performance with
his own prosthetic system (a Hosmer hook) and the
SHPH. Figure 9(a)-(f) shows some grasps performed
by our pilot with his prosthesis. The execution time for
each task for both devices is reported in Figure 9(g).
Data were collected during a single session of experiments.
Figure 9(g) shows that the major advantage of the SHPH
system is in the execution of the puzzle task, where the
time-to-task completion is almost double with the hook.
The main reason behind this result is the improved grasping capabilities of the SHPH, as it is possible to see from a
comparison between, e.g., Figure 7(b) and Figure 9(a)
or Figure 7(l) and Figure 9(c). Looking at the other results,
the SHPH performs better in the wire-loop and breakfast
tasks but has some delays in the shelf and tray, hang-up,
and carry tasks. This comparison, as well as the results
of the C-PAPR, taking into account the limited training
time that our pilot had with the new prosthetic system
with respect to his own hook, shows encouraging results
for the development of the proposed system. For an
extensive comparative analysis with more details on the
use of the SHPH system during the Cybathlon race and
user feedback, see [27].
Conclusions
In this article, we studied the feasibility of applying the SoftHand technology in a range of ADL, with particular attention focused on work-oriented environments. Among the
many requirements needed by these applications, we can cite
high grip power, grasp versatility, resilience, and power
autonomy as the main design parameters, whereas factors
like aesthetics or silent operation are less dominant. Of particular relevance and a specific objective of our proposed
work was the control interface with the user. Virtually all
work-oriented prostheses are operated via a BP cable, which
is very easy to use, has low cost, and does not need batteries,
motors, or sensors. Conversely, multiactivation-modalities
prostheses have sophisticated myoelectric control and electronics, affording greater versatility, dexterity, and aesthetics.
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In this article, we explored the possibility of realizing a prosthetic system that combines the two, creating a hybrid system
with shared advantages from both fields, adopting a typical
BPP input (a shoulder harness) in combination with an electrically powered multifinger anthropomorphic hand. In particular, the adopted hand has intrinsic features that enable
the above-mentioned qualities, such as robustness, adaptiveness, and resilience.
Our approach to the problem started from the analysis
and the enumeration of the possible locations of the main
electric components of the prosthetic hand (motor, battery
pack, and electronics) with respect to the other parts of the
prosthesis and the body of the user. As a result of this analysis, eight configurations have been isolated, one of which has
been implemented in an operational prototype, the SHPH,
and used in the C-PAPR by the SoftHand Pro team. Future
work will focus on the implementation and comparison of
some of the proposed layouts and verifying with users their
relevance, effectiveness, and level of acceptance. The Cybathlon competition provided us with the opportunity to test and
explore the potential of the first release of the system. Moreover, the effectiveness of the system and the extremely positive preliminary results in the use of our hybrid approach
both encourage our ongoing research studying systems
where a BP input is also integrated with multiactivation
hands and sEMG signals.
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the European Commission
project (Horizon 2020 research program) SOFTPRO
688857, the European Research Council under the Advanced Grant SoftHands "A Theory of Soft Synergies for a
New Generation of Artificial Hands," ERC-291166, and
the Proof of Concept Project SoftHand Pro-H, ERC-2016PoC 727536. We thank Samuele Batazzi, Fabio Bonomo,
Alberto Brando, Andrea Di Basco, and Alessandro Raugi
for their valuable support in the development of the hardware prototype.
References
[1] E. Biddiss, D. Beaton, and T. Chau, "Consumer design priorities for
upper limb prosthetics," Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technol., vol. 2, no. 6, pp. 346-357, 2007.
[2] N. Jiang, H. Rehbaum, I. Vujaklija, B. Graimann, and D. Farina,
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over two degrees-of-freedom in upper limb amputees," IEEE Trans.
Neural Syst. Rehabil. Eng., vol. 22, no. 3, pp. 501-510, 2014.
[3] C. Castellini, P. Artemiadis, M. Wininger, A. Ajoudani, M. Alimusaj,
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[4] T. Kuiken, "Targeted reinnervation for improved prosthetic function," Phys. Med. Rehabil. Clin. North Amer., vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 1-13,
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2017