3D printed Myoelectric Prosthetic Arm with feedback

The design and implementation of a working proto-type of an Automated Prosthetic Arm is described in this paper. If an arm or other extremity is amputated or lost, a prosthetic device, or prosthesis, can play an important role. With advancing technology it is easier to have a prosthetic arm with similar functionality as a real arm. However, such arms are expensive and unavailable to the general public, particularly in developing countries. The objective of this project is to provide an affordable solution to the amputee patients. Even when the patient has lost a limb, the muscles around the severed area continue to function. Myoelectric prosthesis is designed to smoothly restore the function of lost limbs using the signals from residual stump muscles. The electromyography(EMG) signals produced by the user near the severed area can be used for operating the arm. An EMG sensor detects the muscle movement and provides the desired input for the amount and direction of arm movement. The servo motors, in turn, are employed to actuate the prosthetic arm's fingers using fishing lines as tendons. Each finger can be moved independently by the means of a separate servo motor, and the wrist can be rotated using an additional motor. As a result, the arm has six degrees of freedom (DOF). The prosthetic arm is 3D printed with PLA material to lower the weight and cost of the entire system.