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）技术开发一种创新的假手。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金属丝和液态金属填充磁流变弹性体（LMMRE）设计了LMMRE-SMA人造肌肉，LMMRE用于为手指提供弯曲力。采用LMMRE-SMA人工肌肉，新型软性假手反应迅速，具有自感知外力的能力。手指测量握持力或握力的自我感知能力已被表征。新型人工肌肉对气流、水流的自我感知反应及其分辨率也进行了测试。手指自我感知能力分辨率为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旋转关节的磁流变填充轴承，实现了大的转容积比。利用COMSOL软件对接头磁场分布进行了细致的分析，改进了接头的设计。经过设计和优化，手指已制成原型。此外，还建立了一个测试平台来测试磁流变接头的性能。手指的负载承载性能已经过测试，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.