Objective
The MARCUS project aims to inject fresh thought into prosthetic hand design. There are two main areas of improvement aimed at in MARCUS; sensorisation of the hand, and nearer anthropomorphic design. Force and slip-detection sensors are to be incorporated in the fingertips and coupled with a microprocessor enabling the hand to determine the grip force needed to prevent a grasped object from slipping, requiring only strategic (and hence less complex) commands from the user.
The MARCUS hand design aims to be close to the natural hand in many respects. It has two independent degrees of freedom, one in the thumb, which moves across the palm as it closes, and one in the index and middle fingers, which each have three joints and which curl into the palm. The hand can assume the power grip (e.g.. for screwdrivers) as well as the precision grip (e.g. picking up a small object). The fingers and the thumb are independently controlled in closing to help accordance with normal hand practice of registering on an object to be gripped with the thumb, and moving the finger towards the thumb.
Other improvements aimed at include the use of a more flexible cosmetic glove with a better skin texture definition, which coupled with a closely anthropomorphic profile, provides a very inconspicuous prosthetic. Micro-power techniques will ensure an efficient battery management regime preventing sensorisation decreasing the useful life between battery charges. Throughout, a conscious weight minimisation strategy has kept the mass of the hand low.
The MARCUS hand will be alpha-tested in the UK and Italy, and initial models will go into clinical trials. The consortium notes that there are potential uses of the proposed hand outside the health care field - particularly as an anthropomorphic gripper for robotic devices. Whilst the clear intention of the team is to supply much needed technology to disabled people, the minority issue of the supply of anthropomorphic hands to robotics users will be attended to by at least two of the five partners in the consortium.
Two members of the consortium, Scienza Machinale of Italy, and Technology Applications Group will act so as to bring the technology of MARCUS to the market in two forms. Firstly, as prosthetic hand units available to end users through the normal channels for supply of prosthetics. Secondly, the hand and a robotic device, the sensor and electronics units, and the sensors on their own, will be applied in the robotics market, a components of interest to OEM companies and research groups.
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Programme(s)
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Funding Scheme
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Coordinator
NE66 1LN Alnwick
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.