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Faculty of Medical Sciences

Vibrotactile grip force feedback in myoelectric controlled upper limb prosthetics from an ecological perspective

Bakker, M. (Martijn) (2019) Vibrotactile grip force feedback in myoelectric controlled upper limb prosthetics from an ecological perspective. thesis, Human Movement Sciences.

Full text available on request.

Abstract

Results: The lack of sensory feedback in upper limb prosthetics results in a high rejection rate among upper limb prosthesis users. Recently, a lot of research is conducted in the field of vibrotactile feedback (VTF) to provide grip force feedback aiming to increase the prosthesis use satisfaction. We argue that the theory of ecological psychology can enhance the field of vibrotactile grip force feedback and therefore tried to build a theoretical framework based on ecological principles. We aimed to establish the effect of different vibrotactile conditions and the effect of training sessions on grip force control. Methods: 25 Able-bodied participants (age 21.70 ± 1.85 years) were randomly assigned to one of the three experimental groups. The three groups were: 1) no VTF feedback group (N = 9), 2) simple VTF tactile feedback group: tactors active at constant level (N = 8) 3) sequential VTF feedback group: tactors proportionally activated (N = 8). The experiment consisted of four sessions, spread over one week, with the pre-test at the first day and the post-test at the fourth day. The second and third day were filled with a training in which the participants were free to practice. Results: We found a lower overall grip force for the sequential feedback group, who received the most comprehensive VTF. Also, the accuracy significantly improved for both VTF groups. Furthermore, the grasping time and adjustment time were significantly decreased at the posttest in comparison with the pre-test for all conditions, showing the importance of experience. Conclusion: In conclusion, structured patterns in vibrotactile feedback and a training program to gain experience are interesting for the field of vibrotactile grip force feedback. Therefore, our theoretical framework based on ecological psychology provides a new perspective on VTF in upper limb prosthetics. Keywords: upper limb prosthetics, vibrotactile feedback, ecological psychology, perceptual system, flow field

Item Type: Thesis (UNSPECIFIED)
Supervisor name: Bongers, dr. R.M.
Faculty: Medical Sciences
Date Deposited: 16 May 2022 08:26
Last Modified: 16 May 2022 08:26
URI: https://umcg.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/3333

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