Abstract:
Feedback of sensation has long been the dream of developers (and wearers) of prosthetic hands,
and many earlier efforts have made progress, but never a practical commercially-available system.
Although grip force feedback (GFF) is an obvious shortcoming in a hand prosthesis, it has
been slow to develop because of the innate difficulties of providing consistent and accurate feedback
information to the wearer of an electric hand. A truly useful GFF system must provide, 1)
true clinical relevance (we feel it should demonstrably improve control of grip force, contribute
to a more natural feel, and represent an acceptable ratio of cost to benefits provided), and 2) technically
provide a practical system which can operate for months reliably, and be small enough to
install into a cosmetic-looking prosthesis.
