Vision enabled Smart Prosthetic Arm for Amputees

Abstract

The need for automated prosthetic arms for managing upper limbs is growing, however prosthetic arms available in the market perform predefined functions that might seem alien to the user and many smart prosthetic arms require various user inputs to properly perform desired grips and perform functions. This research involves developing a prototype for the same by designing and making it operational using - a smart arm capable of detecting objects and adjusting it’s grip appropriate for the detected object. The device is capable of autonomously identifying an object and it’s position using a camera embedded in the arm. It utilizes the arm including the wrist with a two degree-of-freedom to track and orient itself relative to the object, and then finally apply appropriate grip that are prerecorded using leap-motion sensor.