Forearm-Driven Soft Prosthetic Hand Designed for Children with the Ability to Execute Intricate and Skillful Motions

The prosthetic hand we have developed is powered by air pressure, and its functionality is not impaired even when the finger joints are flexibly deformed. This makes it possible to grasp objects of various shapes, and it has the advantages of durability and high safety for the user and others. We have evaluated the performance of the developed prosthetic hand and conducting user tests using only the prosthetic hand. Of the 19 tasks performed, 14 were successfully completed. The user was able to achieve movements that were comparable to those of normal subjects in the task using grip strength grasping. The results of the user test confirmed several issues regarding the functionality of the prosthetic hand, but it was thought that it could sufficiently fulfill the purpose of assisting bimanual motion in an environment where children actually use the prosthetic hand.