A myoelectric controlled prosthetic hand with an evolvable hardware LSI chip

Issue title: Advances in the Control of Prosthetic Arms

Guest editors: Peter Kyberd, Paul Chappell and David Gow

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Kajitani, Isamu^{a; *} | Iwata, Masaya^a | Harada, Masahide^b | Higuchi, Tetsuya^a

Affiliations: [a] Advanced Semiconductor Research Center (ASRC), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Umezono 1-1-1, Tsukuba, Ibraki 305-8568, Japan | [b] Harada Hyper Precision Inc., Oodoori-nishi 15-2-1, Chuuou-ku, Sapporo 060-0042, Japan

Correspondence: [*] Address for correspondence: Isamu Kajitani, Umezono 1-1-1, Tsukuba, Ibraki 305-8568, Japan. Tel.: +81 298 61 5758; Fax: +81 298 61 5871; E-mail: isamu.kajitani@aist.go.jp.

Abstract: This paper presents an innovative multi-function myoelectric hand prosthesis, where the key technology is a new hardware paradigm called evolvable hardware (EHW). An EHW chip, which is capable of adapting its own circuit structure to changes in specifications, is used as the action decision circuit of the mechanical hand to classify myoelectric patterns, because myoelectric signals vary both among individuals and over time for the same individual. Beside, because the EHW chip executes myoelectric pattern classification with a simple logic circuit, it is suitable for applications where size is an important consideration, such hand prosthesis.

Keywords: hand prosthesis, electromyography, evolvable hardware chip

DOI: 10.3233/TAD-2003-15208

Journal: Technology and Disability, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 129-143, 2003