Bionic hand prosthesis. “The device is able to learn signals and translate them into movement”

A team of scientists from the Wrocław University of Science and Technology constructed a bionic prosthesis led by Dr. engineer Andrzej Wołczowski from the Faculty of Electronics, Photonics and Microsystems. The project called “Agility, bionic hand prosthesis”, for which a grant was obtained from the National Center for Research and Development, is being implemented at the Innovation and Business Center of the Wrocław University of Science and Technology.

The technologically advanced prosthesis is intended for people who have had their forearm amputated. – In such amputations, some muscles usually remain, which we can use directly to control the prosthesis – said the scientist.

The prosthesis consists of three parts and weighs approximately 500 g. The mechanical elements of the prosthesis are the arm clamp, forearm and hand. – We also used a powered elbow brace because carrying a heavy load on the stump of the arm is difficult – said Dr. Wołczowski, who himself has an arm amputated above the elbow.

The prosthesis is bionic, which means that it is moved by impulses coming from the muscles of the amputated limb stump. – Signals from the human body are used to teach a program that recognizes these signals. The device is able to learn signals and translate them into movement, the scientist explained.

Sensors are installed in the fingertips of the artificial hand that allow you to determine the pressure force and feel the contact with the touched object. – Thanks to this, the prosthesis adapts the grip itself to the grasped object in its final phase. For example, a person gives an order to grab a ball, but the ball may be larger or smaller and these artificial fingers can sense it – described Dr. Wołczowski. Scientists also want to install vibration devices in the prosthesis, thanks to which the user will better feel the thing being touched.

Dr. Eng. Paweł Trajdos from the Faculty of Computer Science and Telecommunications, who, next to Dr. Eng. Michał Błędowski is responsible for the design and implementation of the decision-making module for the prosthesis, he emphasized that the device can learn and improve its movements. – Each person is different and this also applies to the signals generated by the body. In people with amputation, these differences are even greater, depending on the degree of amputation – and how the muscles on the stump are arranged after it – said the scientist.

Dr. Tajdos explained that the user of the prosthesis, through signals sent from the muscles, “gives” the device information about movement patterns. – This is training material for the system, and the more data we have from signals sent by the body, the better the quality of motion recognition will be. So the user must practice with the prosthesis to teach it certain movements, the engineer said. He added that there is also “feedback and the classifier placed in the prosthesis teaches the user to generate his muscle contraction patterns differently.”

The project is scheduled to be completed in 2025. As a result, three personalized prostheses will be developed. Scientists are looking for people with amputated upper limbs to participate in testing prototypes. Three selected people will receive their own prostheses.

The team is headed by Dr. Eng. Andrzej Wołczowski, including: prof. Ph.D. engineer Marek Kurzyński, Ph.D. Eng. Michał Błędowski, Ph.D. Eng. Janusz Jakubiak, Ph.D. Eng. Jerzy Witkowski, Ph.D. Eng. Andrzej Grobelny – researchers from the Faculty of Electronics, Photonics and Microsystems Photonics and Microsystems of Wrocław University of Science and Technology and Dr. Eng. Paweł Trajdos from the Faculty of Computer Science and Telecommunications of Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Ph.D. Eng. Marcin Pawlak from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Dr. Eng. Mariusz Opałka from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering.