Author Description

Current electromyography (EMG) sensors have not been successfully combined with more comfortable and functional silicone soft sockets in externally powered prostheses due to contact, wire breakage and daily use issues. To overcome those issues, this thesis proposes a novel control framework based on the measurement of the mechanical activity of remnant muscles (mechanomyography or MMG). This document details the technical implementation, design optimization and practical tests that lay the groundwork for the development of a new generation of MMG-driven upper-limb externally powered prosthesis. Fundamental contributions include a systematic characterization and optimization of silicone-embedded sensors for MMG signal recording, the novel design of a coupled MMG sensor pair for dynamic noise reduction and the first ever reported use of a MMG sensor array for the generation of multiple signals for prosthesis control. Tests with amputees demonstrate that MMG-driven prostheses may advance the frontier of externally powered prostheses research.