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Why doesn’t a prosthetic hand always do what it’s told?

Chadwell, AEA; Prince, M; Head, JS; Galpin, AJ; Thies, SBA; Kenney, LPJ

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Authors

AEA Chadwell

M Prince

JS Head



Abstract

There are online videos which appear to show electrically-powered prosthetic hands to be nearperfect replacements for a missing hand (e.g. https://youtu.be/F_brnKz_2tI). However, for
many users, the reality can be different. Prosthetic hands don’t always respond as expected
which can be frustrating.
The hand is controlled by muscle signals in the remaining part of the person’s affected arm,
using sensors called electrodes. The electrodes are embedded within the socket, which is the
part of the prosthetic arm that connects it to their arm. When they activate their muscles, the
hand can open, close, or change the grip.
If the socket moves, it can pull the electrodes away from the skin. As a result, the muscle
activity signalling the person’s intention cannot be properly detected, and the hand will not
work very well. In this paper we explain why socket fit may be the most important part of a
prosthetic arm.

Citation

Chadwell, A., Prince, M., Head, J., Galpin, A., Thies, S., & Kenney, L. (2022). Why doesn’t a prosthetic hand always do what it’s told?. Frontiers for Young Minds, https://doi.org/10.3389/frym.2022.786663

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Jan 19, 2022
Online Publication Date Sep 15, 2022
Publication Date Sep 15, 2022
Deposit Date Jan 20, 2022
Publicly Available Date Jun 19, 2024
Journal Frontiers for Young Minds
Print ISSN 2296-6846
Publisher Frontiers Media
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
DOI https://doi.org/10.3389/frym.2022.786663
Publisher URL https://kids.frontiersin.org/

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