1 MULTIPURPOSE PROSTHETIC ROBOTIC ARM

INTRODUCTION

India stands second in terms of population next to China with a count of 120 million people. Out of them
21 million are physically disabled which mostly include limb amputees, paralysis patients etc. This is one
of the major problems our country is facing. According to the Indian census, the disability rate (number of
disabled per 1 lakh population) of the country as a whole turns out to be 2130. It is a pity that at least 20
percent of people living below the poverty line have some kind of disability. So there is a need of device
which is of low cost and can be accessed by all classes of people and help them lead a self-dependent life.
When an arm or other extremity is amputated or lost, a prosthetic device, or prosthesis, can play an
important role in rehabilitation. For many people, an artificial limb can improve mobility and the ability to
manage daily activities, as well as provide the means to stay independent. The origin of prosthetics dates
back to the early civilizations of Egypt, Greece and Rome, when prosthetic limbs were made out of fiber,
wood, iron, and bronze. Brutal war battles throughout world history have resulted in extraordinary mortality
and morbidity, including grotesque injuries and the loss of limbs. These innumerable war casualties have
provided impetus for the improvement of artificial limb design. The French army surgeon, Ambroise Paré,
who is often considered to be the father of modern prosthetic surgery and design, was the first to develop
an artificial iron leg with an articulated knee-joint in 1529. Microprocessors began to be incorporated into
the design of external prostheses beginning in the early 1990s, an innovation representing a great leap
toward the development of ever-improving artificial limb designs that enhance control by the patient. Now
robotic prosthetic arms have been incorporated with the microprocessor to control the arm. Here we use a
microcontroller for the control of the arm.