1. Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering Postgraduate Student Research Forum 2001 - Feedback and improvement to the control system, Prosthesis functionality. By: Matthew SANAKIEWICZ Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. T. I. H. Brown Associate supervisor: Assoc. Prof. R. A. Russell Engineering Medical Technology For The New Millennium! AMPUTEE STORY: Jeff Howe Occupation: Truck Driver Left BE, Trauma 1997 Fitted with a Utah ProControl arm. Jeff lost his left arm below the elbow on September 2, 1997. He was operating a crane truck when he got an electrical shock and was burned over 60% of his body. For two and a half months he was in the hospital, on the donor list for a new heart, hovering between life and death. No one knew if he was going to pull through. But slowly, his heart healed, his skin healed and after a few more months of recuperation, Jeff was fitted with a Utah ProControl system and back to work. "I wasn’t at all sure how my three kids were going to react… I just kept thinking about how my boy loved baseball. How was I going to play ball with him again? How was I going to do all the things with the kids that I used to? When they arrived, I met them at the door. The three of them ran and gave me big hugs. I cried. All they cared about was that I was alive” "For the first few months, I didn't do much. But since I got my arm, there's nothing I can't do! I hunt, snowmobile, operate crane, shovel dirt, wheel wheelbarrows-- even change diapers." "If there's anything I would say to people, it's, 'don't let one arm hold you back.' There really isn't anything you can't do!" -Jeff Howe INTRODUCTION CONCLUSION SYSTEM DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES Although there are different hand prostheses available (many of them technological state of the art), not too many are successful as far as ease of operability for patients counts. Even simple tasks for a human hand become extremely hard with use of prosthesis. Other body parts prostheses seem to have more of success in terms of practi-cability i.e. lower limb prosthesis. Thus, our primary aim is to design prosthetic hand system (hardware and control system) that will simplify and expend operability for patients allowing them for greater control and functionality.  Need for improved hand prosthesis and control system.  Usual causes for limb loss: accidents (road, industrial, war, etc), congenital (mainly to drug thalidomide by pregnant woman), diseases (several infections, diabetes mellitus).  Different types of prostheses: 1.Body powered (uses body to control the prosthetic device – e.g. cable driven). 2. Myoelectric (uses muscle electrical signal as a control signal to drive mechatronical prosthesis). 3. Switch control (Processor operated with switch control). 4. Hybrid (Combination of all of the above, and this is what will be used).  Tele-robotics concepts, body driven and power assisted p. hand. Further research will be undertaken in this area that will lead to development of a new system design to provide foundation for skilled prosthetic hand control basing on tele-robotic concepts. By reflection of human hand’s physiological proprioception, through advanced feedback techniques to extended patient’s physiological proprioception to achieve well functional “intelligent” prosthetic hand.  HAND PHYSIOLOGY STUDIES, biomechanics of a wrist & hand, its functionality and operability.  DESIGNING INTELIGENT, PROSTHETIC CONTROL SYSTEM based on shoulder cable driven prosthesis principle by using tele-robotic (mechatronic) concepts. In three aspects: - LOCAL CONTROL UNIT (fingers, grasp modes etc; responding accordingly to main control-master). - FEEDBACK (as an input to the main and local control system). - FUNCTUALITY (of prosthesis basing on human hand functions)  DEVELOPING MECHATRONICAL PROSTHESIS based on above concepts. -  CONTROL SOFWARE: -Re-programmable software based on operating system for the hardware (prosthesis). - Allows for further improvements and adjustments, rehabilitation programs.  MECHANICAL DESIGN: Prosthesis Functionality & operability, programmable grasp modes-voice operated, controlled by 2 bipolar input signals. - - Feedback to main and local control units, tactile sensors (touch, force, position, slip, etc.). --- Structural design and materials.  MASTER-SLAVE SYSTEM - based on tele-robotic control concept design: local control (microprocessor decision support), main shoulder control. -Imitation of human proprioception (receptors) - Extended physiological proprioception: through feedback.