Slip detection and grip adjustment using optical tracking in prosthetic hands

We have designed a closed loop control system that adjusts the grasping force of a prosthetic hand based on the amount of object slip detected by an optical tracking sensor. The system was designed for the i-Limb (a multi-fingered prosthetic hand from Touch Bionics Inc.) and is comprised of an optical sensor embedded inside a silicone prosthetic glove and a control algorithm. In a proof of concept study to demonstrate the effectiveness of optical tracking in slip sensing, we record slip rate while increasing the weight held in the grasp of the hand and compare two cases: grip adjustment on and grip adjustment off. The average slip rate was found to be 0.314 slips/(s·oz) without grip adjustment and 0.0411 slips/(s·oz) with grip adjustment. This paper discusses the advantages of the optical approach in slip detection and presents the experiment and results utilizing the optical sensor and grip control algorithm.