Using thin-film piezoelectret to detect tactile and slip signals for restoring sensation of prosthetic hands.

Abstract

Most of the currently available prosthetic hands do not have a proper sensation of touching and slipping. Thus it is not easy for arm amputees to grasp objects properly only with an assistance of visual feedback. In this pilot work, a sensor based on thin-film piezoelectret was used to detect the possible tactile and slip information of a prosthetic hand. The piezoelectret sensor is flexible and is able to be bended, and therefore it could be properly mounted on the surface of prosthetic finger. Our preliminary results demonstrated that both the tactile and slip information could be acquired with the same sensor unit. For a grasp without slippage, the tactile signal was usually a single large peak, whereas the slip signal was a series of vibrations in a small range. Thus these two types of signals could be easily separated based on their different characteristics. This study suggested that by using thin-film piezoelectret sensor, a primary control with involuntary feedback might be achieved for the present prosthetic hands. More studies would be required on the detailed signal processing and control strategy for the restoration of sensation function in prosthetic hands.