Weekly Update Meeting

Description

After the third lecture, we will begin having Weekly Update Meetings during the scheduled lecture time, instead of a full 110 minute lecture. During this time, you are expected to present a 10 minute, 3-slide update presentation on your progress that week to share with the instructors.

Lecture Slides

Slides

Requirements and Grading

There are no points directly associated with the Weekly Update Meeting, but attendance is mandatory and missed attendance will be considered for the teamwork score.

Submission and Deadlines

Nothing needs to be submitted on the course website. Your whole team just needs to be present at each of the weekly update meetings, and each team member must speak (at least for their own work).

Low Cost Myoelectric Prosthetic Hand

Featured Project

According to the WHO, 80% of amputees are in developing nations, and less than 3% of that 80% have access to rehabilitative care. In a study by Heidi Witteveen, “the lack of sensory feedback was indicated as one of the major factors of prosthesis abandonment.” A low cost myoelectric prosthetic hand interfaced with a sensory substitution system returns functionality, increases the availability to amputees, and provides users with sensory feedback.

We will work with Aadeel Akhtar to develop a new iteration of his open source, low cost, myoelectric prosthetic hand. The current revision uses eight EMG channels, with sensors placed on the residual limb. A microcontroller communicates with an ADC, runs a classifier to determine the user’s type of grip, and controls motors in the hand achieving desired grips at predetermined velocities.

As requested by Aadeel, the socket and hand will operate independently using separate microcontrollers and interface with each other, providing modularity and customizability. The microcontroller in the socket will interface with the ADC and run the grip classifier, which will be expanded so finger velocities correspond to the amplitude of the user’s muscle activity. The hand microcontroller controls the motors and receives grip and velocity commands. Contact reflexes will be added via pressure sensors in fingertips, adjusting grip strength and velocity. The hand microcontroller will interface with existing sensory substitution systems using the pressure sensors. A PCB with a custom motor controller will fit inside the palm of the hand, and interface with the hand microcontroller.