SBIR Phase II: A Multi-Grip Prosthetic Hand

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）二期项目将把更轻的重量和安静的压电技术结合到一个创新的多握力假手中。目前的假肢手对许多佩戴者来说太重了，需要昂贵的化妆品外壳和手套，这些外壳和手套在恶劣的工作环境中会损坏，并且定向和抓握能力有限。该项目将开发一种安静、重量更轻的驱动系统，并将其集成到一种新的假手设计中，这种假手将坚固耐用、防水，增加双位置拇指的功能，以获得更大的抓握能力，以及灵活的手腕，以增强定向能力，减少传递给佩戴者残肢的冲击负荷。这项研究的更广泛的影响是，它将产生一个多握力的假手，具有防水外壳和连接器，轻质电机驱动和双位置拇指设计。这只手将提供一种在假肢市场上从未有过的手。由于它的创新功能，它将为假手佩戴者提供迄今为止关闭的职业和工作机会。“重返工作岗位”这一全球工人康复计划的目标将得到极大的推动。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will combine lighter weight and quiet piezoelectric technology into an innovative Multi-Grip Prosthetic Hand. Current prosthetic hands are too heavy for many wearers, require expensive cosmetic shells and gloves which are damaged in rugged work environments, and are limited in orientation and gripping capabilities. This project will develop a quiet and lighter weight actuation system and integrate it into a new prosthetic hand design that will be rugged and water resistant, increasing function with a two-position thumb for greater gripping capabilities, and a flexible wrist to enhance orientation abilities and reduce shock loads transmitted to the wearer's remnant limb.The broader impacts of this research are that it will result in a Multi-Grip Prosthetic Hand, with water-proof housings and connectors, light-weight motor drive, and two-position thumb design. This hand will offer a type of hand never available before in the prosthetic marketplace. Because of its innovative features, it will open up vocations and working opportunities that were closed to prosthetic hand wearers heretofore. "Return to Work", the goal of Worker's Rehabilitation programs worldwide, will be given a tremendous boost.