Multifunction upper limb prostheses require many user control inputs to operate. Foot controls offer additional control input options for such advanced devices, yet have had minimal study. This study found that foot controls were a viable option for controlling multifunction upper limb prostheses. Most of the 36 subjects in this study were willing to adopt foot controls to control the multiple degrees of freedom of the DEKA Arm. With training and practice, all users were able to develop the psychomotor skills needed to successfully operate food controls. Some had initial difficulty, but acclimated over time.
Endpoint control is a new control strategy for upper-limb prostheses featuring powered shoulders, which aims to reduce the user's cognitive workload, simplify user control, and allow a more natural movement pattern. The user is able to produce coordinated, multijoint movements for positioning the terminal device in space, without directly controlling each joint individually. There have been a number of published studies on endpoint control strategies as these apply to prostheses. However, none have been performed in a clinical setting. This article discusses existing prosthetic control schemes and the theory of endpoint control in robotics and motor controls, provides a case example from the Tampa site of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Study to Optimize the DEKA Arm, and discusses challenges to its use and development. Endpoint control is a useful method to control advanced multiYdegree of freedom (DOF) upper-limb prostheses. (J Prosthet Orthot. 2013;25:193Y200.)
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