The amputation of a limb leads limitations in daily tasks that technology aims to overcome in developing specific prosthetic devices. The control system for proximal prosthesis (e.g. shoulder disarticulation) is more complex than the control for distal prosthesis beyond the elbow. Indeed, to date, only passive solutions are available for proximal prosthesis.
In this thesis, an embedded control unit for a prosthetic shoulder joint was developed and realised at the Centro Protesi INAIL in Vigorso. This device aims to control the shoulder joint and it plays the role of “Slave” unit in a distributed electronic system developed during a collaboration between the Centro Protesi and the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT). An high performance microcontroller has been interfaced with the Master unit through high-speed CAN bus communication protocol and a customisable firmware handles the operations to be performed by analysing the received informations allowing the speed control of intra/extra-rotation and the flexion/extension of the shoulder joint. The joint speed can be achieved driving two motors by means of PWM signals and a double motor-driver. Moreover, two incremental encoders allow the monitoring of the joint position and even the embedded implementation of position controls. The developed device meets the requirement of the project: low costs, reduced dimensions (30x60mm), easily and highly programmable and customisable
