Arm Prosthesis Race

A limb difference at the level of the forearm or above may lead to significant challenges when interacting with the physical environment. While many of the latest anthropomorphic hand prostheses provide a wide variety of grip patterns, their use and range of functions are often not fully satisfying for their users. The devices still lack some of the fundamental functionalities of a human hand such as wrist flexion and extension or the control of individual fingers.

More on Arm Prosthesis Race

Arm Prosthesis Race Tasks

Arm Prosthesis Race Task | © CYBATHLON

Do-it-yourself

The dexterous use of hand tools requires a prosthetic hand and wrist that provide active motion about multiple axes (pronation/supination, palmar flexion/dorsal extension, and radial and ulnar abduction). Since hand tools are often used in confined spaces the active control of many degrees of freedom becomes even more important.

In this task, pilots must use a variety of hand tools in the context of do-it-yourself type work.

Arm Prosthesis Race Task | © CYBATHLON

Hanging Laundry

Handling laundry and putting on clothes requires a distinct set of fine motor skills, in particular in the fingers. Furthermore, for an arm prosthesis to be practical for daily use it must be compatible with standard clothes.

In this task, the pilot must put on a hooded sweater and fully close the zipper. Then, the pilot must hang up the hooded sweater on the clothesline using a hanger. Finally, the pilot must hang up a t-shirt on the clothesline using blue clothespins.

Arm Prosthesis Race Task | © CYBATHLON

Serving Food

Cooking often involves grasping and carrying objects (e.g., pans) of significant weight from one location to another while it must be made sure that none of the content is spilt.

In this task, a casserole dish and a frying pan must be carried from the stove to a predefined location on a table.

Arm Prosthesis Race Task | © CYBATHLON

Stacking

Maintenance of a tight grip during postural changes of the arm (e.g., pronation and supination of the forearm, elbow flexion and extension) can be challenging for prosthetic hand users but is relevant in many situations in daily life such as when pouring liquids or turning objects.

In this task, pilots sit in front of a table and must stack blue cups into a vertical pyramid.

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