Development of a Dexterous Prosthetic Hand: Design, Manufacturing and Experimental Validations

Abstract

The development of a prosthetic hand-arm system is a critical step toward improving the quality of life for upper-limb amputees to recovery their abilities of self-caring. Over the past two decades, advancements in robotics and biomechanics have significantly propelled the development of prosthetic hands. This research focuses on designing, developing and validating a bio-inspired prosthetic hand-arm system that closely replicates the structural, functional, and control characteristics of the human hand. The study integrates anthropomorphic principles in structural design with advanced control methodologies, aiming to provide amputees with intuitive, human-like grasping and pinching capabilities. The research methodology encompasses anatomical analysis of the human hand, bio-inspired structural design, and fabrication using rapid prototyping techniques. The designed system includes innovative features that includes the profile-designed palmar arches, phalangeal linkages, and integrated mechanisms for passive extension, offering enhanced stability and robustness. Control strategies incorporate electromyography-based gesture pattern recognition algorithm using LDA, enabling intuitive operation on the designed integrated embedded platform. Detailed performance evaluations were conducted to validate kinematic and dynamic properties, gesture recognition accuracy, and real-world grasping capabilities, following Cutkosky and Feix grasping taxonomy guidelines. Experimental results validated the ability of the system to perform anthropomorphic gestures with high accuracy and stability. The prosthetic hand demonstrated adaptability across diverse tasks, from power grasps to precision manipulations, while highlighting areas for improvement, including the integration of MCP abduction-adduction functionality. These findings establish a systematic framework for the design, analysis, and evaluation of prosthetic hands, providing a robust foundation for future advancements in anthropomorphic prosthetic technologies. This work contributes significantly to the field of prosthetics by combining bio-inspired structural innovation with advanced control systems, offering a scalable and adaptable solution for upper-limb amputees. The proposed framework and experimental validations ensure the designed prosthetic hand meets both qualitative and quantitative benchmarks, paving the way for real-world applications and future commercialisation.

Date of Award	29 Jul 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	The University of Manchester
Supervisor	Jyoti Sinha (Main Supervisor)