Prosthetic Case Study

Although prosthetics technology has progressed vastly over the last 10 years, one of the issues that prosthetics users still face is the lack of the sense of touch. Sensory receptors in human skin deliver a host of tactile and thermal signals to the brain, allowing us to feel changes in temperature and how hard we are holding something and whether it is slipping out of our hands, or off our feet. Engineers might be able to restore these sensations to prosthetics users through a stretchable artificial skin, made of a polymer infused with dense networks of very thin gold and silicon. The normally brittle silicon is configured in serpentine shapes that can elongate to allow for prosthetic movement without ripping the artificial skin or damaging

It is important to note, however, that there are no reviews on the aforementioned product, therefore, it is not possible to ascertain if the tactile stimulation the VINCENTevolution 2 provides is satisfactory. Prosthetics, especially prosthetic hands would be revolutionized by the integration of tactile sensation. Not only would it make the prosthetic easier to use as the integration would prevent slip and allow for more successful application of grasping forces, but it could also alleviate ailments that often accompany limb amputation such as phantom pain by using heater arrays that can maintain body temperature, giving artificial limbs a more natural

The first is electrotactile simulation(3). It uses localized electric currents to stimulate targeted nerves using surface electrodes. This method uses no mechanical parts making it light-weight, energy conserving and less noisy in comparison to other non-invasive tactile stimulation methods. The main disadvantage of electrotactile simulation is reported burning sensations from test subjects. The second type of non-invasive tactile stimulation is vibrotactile stimulation (2), which uses mechanical vibrations on the surface of the skin to convey tactile information using varied vibrations frequency, amplitude and duration. It is best-suited for myoelectric protsthetics as it does not interfere with electric signals. Conversely, it may not be suited for older users as their sensitivity to vibrations might be diminished. The final method for non-invasive tactile stimulation is mechanotactile stimulation, which provides the user with pressure or position feedback. It provides the most natural force sensation out of all of the types of non-invasive tactile stimulation but this method also involves the largest and most energy consuming equipment, making it highly impractical to