Performance improvement of a transradial myoelectric prosthesis

ARM2u is a UPC team of both graduate and undergraduate Engineering students that strives to develop a transradial myoelectric prosthesis. The team aims to participate in the powered arm prosthetic race of CYBATHLON, held in Zürich, competing against designs from all over the world. This project compares the prosthesis showcased by the team in December 2021, Andromeda, with the more relevant models of the market, comparing their performance and identifying key improvement areas. This project also reviews the state of Andromeda and the improvements researched and/or implemented since January by ARM2u. It also finds what are the main sources of complaint and rejection among prosthesis users. Solutions for two of these problems, non-intuitive control of the prosthesis and the lack of tactile feedback, are proposed for Andromeda. A new mode to switch mode is designed and implemented, using voice commands transmitted through a phone app. A feedback system that transmits mechanical feedback to the residual limb proportional to the force exerted by the prosthesis is also designed. Both of these improvements are programmed using a new microcontroller intended to be implemented in future iterations of Andromeda. Afterwards, testing of those proposals is conducted, and the impact that their implementation could have is briefly discussed