Development of new generation prosthetic hands using innovative self-perceivable fast-responsive artificial muscles and adaptive magnetorheological exoskeletons

该项目旨在利用磁流变（MR）和形状记忆合金（SMA）技术开发创新的假手。新手指由基于LMMRE-SMA的人工肌肉和具有自适应关节的骨骼系统组成。利用SMA丝和填充液态金属的磁流变弹性体（LMMRE）设计了LMMRE-SMA人工肌肉，用于为手指提供弯曲力。由于采用了LMMRE-SMA人工肌肉，新型柔性假手反应速度快，能够自我感知外力。手指的自我感知能力，以衡量举行或韧性的力量已被表征。测试了新型人工肌肉对风流、水流的自感知响应及其分辨力。手指自我感知能力的分辨率为0.02N。设计了新型手指外骨骼的详细结构。本项目创新性地设计了一种磁流变液填充的旋转关节轴承，以实现大扭矩容积比。利用COMSOL软件对接头内的磁场分布进行了详细的分析，以改进接头的设计。经过设计和优化，手指已原型。此外，已经建立了一个测试台来测试MR关节的性能。手指的负载保持性能已被测试，以证明MRF关节的有效性。

This project aims to develop an innovative prosthetic hand using magnetorheological (MR) and shape memory alloy (SMA) technologies. The new finger consists of the LMMRE-SMA based artificial muscle and the skeleton system with adaptive joints. The LMMRE-SMA artificial muscles have been designed using the SMA wires and the liquid metal-filled magnetorheological elastomer (LMMRE), which is used to provide bending force for the finger. With the employment of the LMMRE-SMA artificial muscles, the new soft prosthetic hand will respond quickly, be capable of self-perceiving external force. The self-perceiving capability of the finger to measure the holding or toughing force have been characterized. The self-perceiving response of the new artificial muscle to the wind flow, water follow and its resolution has been tested as well. The resolution of the finger self-perception capability is 0.02N. The detailed structure of the new finger exoskeleton is designed. This project innovatively designed an MRF-filled bearing for the rotary joint to realize large torque-volume ratio. The distribution of the magnetic field in the joint has been carefully analyzed using COMSOL software to improve the joint design. The finger has been prototyped after the design and optimization. Also, a testing rig has been built to test the performance of the MR joint. The load holding performance of the finger has been tested to demonstrate the effectiveness of the MRF joints.