KINEMATIC AND KINETOSTATIC ANALYSIS OF A THREE-FINGER UNDERACTUATED PROSTHETIC HAND

Abstract

Mankind has long been looking for opportunities to return the deficient parts of bodies for people with disabilities. This is especially applicable to the loss or congenital absence of arm, which requires a functional and light prosthesis to improve the quality of a person’s life. However, it is rarely possible to combine these two features in the prosthesis without compromising one of them. Improvement in one of these parameters leads to a deterioration of another: it usually becomes necessary to choose between functionality and the weight. Thus, the question arises about the possibility of creating a prosthesis that is both functional and lightweight. To create highly functional, light prosthesis with subsequently optimized design, and less weak areas, it is necessary to establish a more detailed understanding of the system, to recreate the model of the movement and to understand the kinematics and kinetostatics of the prosthesis. To address this issue, the use of four-bar linkage system in prosthesis will be presented in this thesis. Also, the thesis will discuss the reasons why this model of prosthesis was chosen, the principle of work of the four-bar linkage system in the prosthetic finger mechanism, and provide its kinematic and kinetostatic analysis.