Mechatronics Design and Bio-Motion Simulation of Trans-radial Arm Prosthesis Controlled by EMG Signals

According to the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI), 32 % of the population in the country have some type of motor disability, which includes difficulty in carrying out activities of daily living using the upper extremities. This research proposes the design and simulation of an upper extremity prosthesis controlled by electromyography signals for a patient with a trans-radial amputation. The cover of the prosthesis was made of ABS plastic and its CAD design was made with SolidWorks software. A compartment in the forearm was considered for the placement of the battery and the electronic system in the hand. The EMAXX ES8MA II and TOWER MG995 servomotors were used to load a mass of 2.3 kg of the forearm and hand assembly and a mechanical system to reach the 10 N.m necessary to move the fingers of the hand. The Von Mises stress analysis was carried out by applying a torque of 50 N.m in the coupling of the forearm-hand system. The CoppeliaSim software was used to simulate the movement of the prosthesis with the dimensions extracted from a volunteer patient.