During the class, Matthew was selected to
test a computer program that tracks arm
movements using electrodes attached to his
arm. While this was effective, it took about 30
minutes to pick up clear signals. If someone
needed to make a quick connection, this
wasn’t a very good option for a prosthetic. A
faster connection was needed.
He learned about the Myo Gesture Control
Armband that reads electrical muscle signals
in the arm, allowing a user to wirelessly
control devices such as video games, home
automation, drones, etc. The Myo also
connects in less than 30 seconds.
Hanger Clinic was interested in the Myo
and sponsored the project, donating a custom
silicone sleeve to hold the Myo. Matthew and
Dan Arnett next pursued the best options for
3D printing a hand.
Listening to what Riddle wanted to be
able to do with the prosthetic, along with
noting the shape of his limb and muscles,
they selected the Adahand for the project.
The benefits include a rubber-like quality that
allows the hand to return to its original form
after bending it. It also has durability with a
similar texture to a normal hand. When paired
with a device like the Myo, accurate control of
each finger was possible.
Since the muscles in Riddle’s right arm are
functional, they discovered he could use the
Myo to make gestures. Therefore, they hoped
Riddle could mirror the gestures, using the
same muscle contractions as his opposing
arm, to operate the prosthetic. If this was
successful, the Myo would respond by making
the gestures Riddle wanted, such as waving,
giving a thumbs up or making a fist. In order
for him to control the hand, they used the
Myo to send Bluetooth signals to a circuit
board and then to apps on Riddle’s phone.
To gain a better understanding of 3D
modeling, Matthew attended a CAD
workshop using SolidWorks at Prism
Engineering, which covered how to
manipulate a variety of items made from
different materials. He also attended a
weekend CAD workshop at Carnegie Mellon
University taught by Dr. George Kantor from
the Robotics Institute. Matthew learned
more complicated functions, such as adding
curvature to a design and making irregular
shapes. Several variations of Riddle’s wrist
were printed before they found one that
worked.
Finally, they assembled the device,
downloaded the code to Riddle’s phone and
Adam Riddle tests out the new prototype.
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