Design of an Innovative Integrated System for Upper Limb Prosthesis

Nowadays the prosthetic system can be configured as a multifactorial set that includes reciprocal relationships between the stump, the socket, the prosthesis and the tridigital/robotic hand. This system presents some critical issues that can be addressed by improving the integration between the parts and redesigning some components through innovative design-driven solutions. The paper describes the design of a sensorized liner for upper limb prostheses according to the User Centered Design methodology, focusing on the socket - which is conceived as an integrated system composed by Hypermat (the external rigid meta-structure) and the sensorized liner. The system was designed on the basis of the results that emerged in the focus group which involved amputee users, technologists and a heterogeneous set of design figures. The project requirements on which the liner development and its integration with the Hypermat metastructure were based were defined. The paper describes the design of the sensorized liner taking into consideration the choice of materials, the application of myoelectric textile sensors and pressure sensors, the connector design for the connection between sensors and circuitry, the assembly and production methods.