Objective Prostheses are artificial replacements of body parts that have been removed, e.g. by amputation following a traumatic event or a disease. Currently, three types of prosthetic hands are commercially available;- cosmetic: passive devices with a simple aesthetic purpose,- body-powered: powered and controlled by body movements, generally by shoulder or back muscles, and- myoelectric: electrically powered and controlled by electromyographic signals, which are the weak electrical signals produced by contracting muscles.These devices are still too simple to mimic the functionality of the natural lost limb because they have only one or two degrees of freedom (d.o.f.s) which allow a very limited variety of movements. In addition, their control is just in o n/off or in simple proportional mode, which is quite far from the natural way of controlling movements.On the contrary, robotics hands are highly sophisticated devices with several d.o.f.s; however, they are unsuitable as prosthesis due to their rather bul ky size and control complexity. The aim of this multidisciplinary project is to construct an innovative type of myoelectric prosthetic hand bearing a superior functionality and a simple controllability, providing upper-limb amputees with a device that will be the closest ever reached to the real human hand.To this end, a highly innovative biomimetic interdisciplinary approach will be used:- a novel model of the human neuromuscular system will be constructed using system identification tools to obtain a m ore natural movement and control of the fingers;- a powerful statistical technique (ICA) will be employed to increase the number of controlling signals obtained from the muscles of the subject's stump and thus the number of d.o.f.s highly increasing the variety of movements and functionality of prosthetic hands.The same approach has the potential to be employed successfully also to increase the functionality of other assistive devices (exoskeletons). Fields of science engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsignal processingengineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringroboticsmedical and health sciencesmedical biotechnologyimplants Keywords Artificial Hand Blind Source Separation Independent Component Analysis Medical Engineering Myoelectric Prostheses Neuroscience System Identification surface Electromyography Programme(s) FP6-MOBILITY - Human resources and Mobility in the specific programme for research, technological development and demonstration "Structuring the European Research Area" under the Sixth Framework Programme 2002-2006 Topic(s) MOBILITY-2.1 - Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowships (EIF) Call for proposal FP6-2004-MOBILITY-5 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme EIF - Marie Curie actions-Intra-European Fellowships Coordinator SCUOLA SUPERIORE DI STUDI UNIVERSITARI E DI PERFEZIONAMENTO SANT'ANNA EU contribution No data Address Piazza Martiri della Liberta 33 PISA Italy See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data
