Wearable Integrated Soft Haptics in a Prosthetic Socket

Abstract

Modern active prostheses can be used to recover part of the motor function associated with the loss of a hand. Nevertheless, most sensory abilities are lost, and the person has to manage interaction by relying mostly on visual feedback. Despite intensive research devoted to convey touch related cues, very few solutions have been integrated in a real prosthesis worn by a user. This paper describes a soft pneumatic feedback system designed with integrability and wearability among its main concerns. At the system core, two soft pneumatic actuators are placed in contact with the subject's skin and inflated to provide pressure stimuli, which can be used to represent force exerted by the hand grasping. We report on the design and the characterization of the system, including behavioural experiments with able-bodied participants and one prosthesis user. Results from psychophysical, dexterity and usability tests show that the system has the potential to restore sensory feedback in hand amputees, and can be a useful tool for enabling a correct modulation of the force during grasping and manipulation tasks.

VIBES: Vibro-Inertial Bionic Enhancement System in a Prosthetic Socket

“…It is worth mentioning that the VIBES completes a Soft-Hand Pro framework, providing the unique advantage of dual haptic feedback options. Indeed, in our previous research [20], we introduced a soft pneumatic integrated system, the WISH device, which effectively conveyed contact and grip force cues to prosthetic users by applying pressure stimuli on their stumps. The WISH device and the VIBES transform the SHP into a highly adaptable prosthesis, empowering the user to select their preferred type of feedback.…”

“…1 presents an overview of the VIBES. As in our previous work [20], the mechanical structure consists of three components: the structural frame, the mechanical actuation, and the feedback interface. The SHP, the socket, and the inner socket containing surface electromyographic (sEMG) sensors make up the structural frame (parts 1, 2, 3, 5 in Fig.…”

“…The tests assess roughness discrimination and identification abilities by transmitting first-contact cues to the subject. For the SHP, the same control strategy as in [20] is used. At the end of the experiments, the subject completes the System Usability Scale (SUS) to evaluate the system [27].…”

Evaluating the effect of non-invasive force feedback on prosthetic grasp force modulation in participants with and without limb loss

“…Non-invasive techniques rely on wearable haptic feedback devices. The latter solutions, referred to as supplementary feedback in this paper, convey touch-mediated information through skin-stretch [ 10 ], pressure [ 11 , 12 ], vibration or electrical stimulation [ 13 , 14 ].…”

A Haptic Sleeve as a Method of Mechanotactile Feedback Restoration for Myoelectric Hand Prosthesis Users

“…While haptic band devices have been developed to provide sensory feedback in rehabilitation robotics, they have not uniformly been integrated into a prosthetic sleeve which is an integral part of the socket (38)(39)(40)(41). Where a pneumatic device has been integrated into the socket, it has been at a discrete point instead of providing distributed sensory feedback across the residual limb (42). Our study demonstrates a soft socket that integrates haptic feedback across its inner surface whilst being capable of supporting the terminal device without need for any additional material.…”