SBIR Phase II: A compact electrotactile sensory feedback system for upper limb prostheses

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The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project addresses the current lack of useful, realistic feedback in commercially available bionic prosthetic devices. There are currently no prosthetic devices available to amputees that provide closed loop control through sensory feedback. Without this type feedback, prosthesis users tend to avoid manipulating certain objects because they run the risk of handling them incorrectly or destroying them. Consequently, there is a market need for a richly expressive sensory feedback system for upper limb prosthetics. The proposed research seeks to develop a device capable of such feedback with electrotactile stimulation. The expected outcomes of this research are: a controller that can regulate both intensity and quality sensation and a user study which evaluates the effectiveness of this device deployed with a sensation controller for day-to-day manipulation tasks. These outcomes have the potential to restore a significant amount of function to over 10 million upper limb amputees worldwide and improve their quality of life.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project seeks to enhance a portable, energy-efficient electrotactile stimulator, by integrating a control system that will be able to regulate both intensity and quality of sensation. The design and controller of this stimulator are unique. The stimulator will integrate existing prosthetic hand systems. The sensation controller will modulate stimulation parameters to compensate for changes in measured resistance between the electrode-skin interface, thus reducing the likelihood of device rejection due to discomfort. The sensation controller will also maintain a consistent quality of sensation throughout usage. Upon completion of the Phase II project, the prosthetic technology will be a market-ready sensory feedback system that is compliant with regulatory standards for medical equipment.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.