Visual Feedback And The Grasping Function Of Prosthetic Hands

Abstract

Upper limb amputees lack the benefit of tactile and proprioceptive feedback while using their pr osthetic hands It has been theorised that they rely almost exclusively upon vision to determine how well objects are grasped, if slippage is occurring, or if the object is being aushed by excessive force. An understanding of how visual feedback affects grasping performance could be an important tool for the prosthesis designer. A method of quantifying visual feedback and its effects on prosthetic grasping function is presented Methods-Time Measurement was used for evaluation, A head mounted camer a was used to record what the user could see while performing a glasping task The data from subjects with natural and prosthetic hands were evaluated and suggest that the technique is suitable to aid in the understanding of the role of visual feedback related to grasping function Results indicate that the shape of objects grasped, as well as visual feedback were important factors in determining the grasping performance. Recommendations are suggested for further research.