Masashi Sekine, Kento Sugimori, Le Xie, and Wenwei Yu
Dynamics, Weight distribution, Prosthetic arm systems, Modelling and simulation
Lightness is definitely a desirable property for upper-limb prostheses. However, in most cases, to meet the function requirements, it is difficult to reach lightweight for a prosthetic arm. Therefore, it is almost inevitable to distribute the weights of heavy components, such as, actuators, batteries, drivers to the proximal part of human body, with a backpack, hip pouch, left or right shoulder bag. In this study, the trunk load caused by the different weight distribution in different activities of daily living [ADLs], was investigated, based on a dynamical simulation, which contains human trunk and prosthetic arm link models. The motion data of ADLs were acquired through a motion tracking system. The results showed that suitable weight distribution could reduce the load to the trunk, in turn, relieve the fatigue of users. It was also confirmed that, for different ADLs, the ideal weight distribution was different. Therefore, we conclude that, the dynamical simulation is useful for designing and developing individualized prosthetic arm systems for amputees with different life style.
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