Abstract

This paper describes a robotic hand.Amputees often suffer from psychological and physical
difficulties due to their inability to use their extremities. To aid the amputees in acquiring a
functional replacement hand at a feasible cost, a prototype prosthetic was created utilizing
Flexy Hand, a 3D printable hand model, and Arduino, an open source microprocessor. The
PC sends the information to the Arduino, which powers certain servos to actuate each finger
individually. The simple construction and low cost of materials, as well as the use of
common devices enables amputees to gain access to new prosthetics with ease.

Introduction
The task proposed in this project is to design an intelligent prosthetic hand. An intelligent
prosthetic hand is defined as ‘a hand that mimics the natural movements of the human
hand.’ In order to appropriately mimic the motion of the human hand, we must study its
natural motions. For instance, the distal phalanx (finger tip) must rotate about its joint as
the middle phalanx rotates. It is very difficult and unnatural to bend the finger at the
proximal joint, while keeping the distal joint stiff. The motions of these two joints are linked
and must move together. On the other hand, the knuckle joint is not linked to any other
joints. The knuckle is able to move the entire finger with no motion in the proximal or distal
joints. This means that the finger can remain straight while bending at the knuckle. The
thumb is a very different digit. It only has a knuckle joint and a proximal joint. These joints in
the thumb are unlinked and can move independently of each other. Once the natural
motions on the human hand are defined, the design of a prosthetic that can imitate them
can occur. In the design of this prosthetic, space is a very important constraint. The size of
the prosthetic must also resemble that of the average human hand. This means that there is
not much space to fit actuators and motors. The fingers themselves are very small and there
will not be any room for actuators that are powerful enough to accomplish everyday tasks.
This must be accounted for in the prosthetics design. Some areas where actuators may be
placed are in the body of the hand or in the forearm of a full arm prosthetic. The scope of
this project allows for placement of actuators and motors in the forearm since the hand is
being designed for a 2 full arm prosthetic. With preliminary research such as stated above,
concepts for the design can be developed to fit the criteria.

Litrature Review
Robots can be used to perform surgeries in a more accurate and precise manner where the
surgeon can make decisions and operate the robot as and when needed at the spur of the
moment. This ensures that no human error is involved, there is a reduced amount of blood
loss, and the area of surgery is comparatively smaller.
In minimally invasive robotic surgery (MIRS), the surgery is performed by the surgeon using
tele-operated robotic tools instead of using manual instruments. In this scheme, robots do
not replace the surgeon, but instead provide the surgeon with improved abilities to perform
the intricate, precise surgical manipulations. The following are the examples of existing
MIRS systems:
Da-Vinci Robot
This system has been approved by the FDA for laparoscopic, non-cardiac thoracoscopic,
prostatectomy, cardiotomy, cardiac revascularization, urologic surgical, gynecologic surgical,
pediatric surgical and trans-oral otolaryngology surgical procedures.
Zeus System
The Zeus system has the similar capabilities as the Da Vinci system. It has been approved by
the FDA as well. It is composed of a master console and 3 table-mounted robotic arms. Two
robotic arms mimic the surgeon’s arms and hold the surgical tool and the third arm is a
voice-controlled robotic endoscopic system [6].
The endoscopic instrument mounted on the slave manipulator provides five degrees of
freedom to extend the dexterity inside the patient for the surgeon. Robotic systems thus
have proven to play a very important role in the medicinal and surgical sector, be it in
manufacturing medicines and drugs or carrying out simple tasks in specific surgeries.
However, robots do not take over the whole procedure in a surgery, but certainly assist the
surgeons to perform the task accurately and avoid large incisions, infections and blood loss.

Result
The fully assembled hand can easily perform the everyday gestures of rock, paper, scissors,
the “OK” sign, and thumbs up at the push of a button. The fingers can be configured to a
variety of gestures due to the strings that are manipulated by the servos. Also, rubber bands
superglued to the back of the fingers allow them to snap back into place when the servos
release the pressure. Although the device is simple and affordable, it cannot grab things
very easily or respond to stimuli, and it is heavy and bulky. Therefore our device is easily
reproducible but not robust.

Discussion
New technological advancements in the field of myoelectric prosthetics have led to
development of hands with multiple degrees of freedom. The use of servos, rather than DC
motors, in this new prototype proves to be a more viable option when controlling finger
kinematics. Servos are lighter than DC motors and are more precise. Due to their simple,
continuous rotation mechanisms, DC motors are more commonly used in prosthetics, even
though servos demonstrate a higher degree of accuracy through proper control of angular
displacement. Servos are also much easier to program than DC motors; a DC motor’s control
is dependent on the time the action will take to complete, rather than the motor’s final
position. With the use of servos, the time variable is eliminated along with any other factors
for possible error.

Conclusion
Simple prosthetics have the potential to make a measurable impact in an amputee’s daily
life. Construction and assembly of the hand calls for a short list of materials and tools that
are easy to access. With the availability of this technology, amputees have the necessary
tools to manufacture their own personalized prosthetics that will improve their quality of
life in addition to the prevention of the mental degradation that oftentimes comes with
physical deformation. The objective of this project consisted of the creation of an
inexpensive 3D-printed robotic prosthetic hand powered by Arduino that could perform
several gestures. The proof-of-concept prototype accomplishes these tasks effectively with
an easy method of control.

References
[1] Design and Development of an Underactuated Prosthetic Hand. B. Massa, S. Roccella, M.
C. Carrozza, P. Dario. International Conference on Robotics & Automation. Washington DC,
May 2002
[2] Design and Control of a Robotic finger For Prosthetic Hands. Sang Eun Baek, Seung-Hi
Lee, Joseph Heungsung Chang. International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems,
1999.
[3] Mechatronics Case Study: Prosthetic Hand. Matthew Cook, Julian Duncan, Mike Gibbons,
Ben Harvey, Graham Nicholson. February 2001. University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.
[4] Experimental Analysis of the proprioceptive and exteroceptive sensors of an
underactuated prosthetic hand. M. Zecca, G. cappiello, F. Sebastiani, S. Roccella, F. Vecchi,
M. C. carrozza, P. Dario. ARTS Lab, Pontedera, Italy and INAIL RTR Centre, INAIL Prosthetic
Center, Viareggio, Italy
[5] TRS Inc. Boulder, Colorado. http://www.oandp.com/products/trs/, April 2006
[6] Alatheia Prosthetics, Brandon, Missouri. http://www.alatheia.com/, April 2006