The Mission

Modern upper-limb prosthetics are often designed to resemble the appearance of a human hand, but current control technologies such as surface EMG, cannot yet provide the same dexterity, speed, and intuitive control as a biological hand. Our mission is to rethink prosthetic design from a functionality-first perspective. Instead of attempting to perfectly replicate the anatomy of a human hand, we aim to design task-optimized prosthetic grippers inspired by robotics and industrial manipulation systems.

The Challenge

1. Limited Control Capability Most commercially available myoelectric prosthetics rely on surface EMG signals from residual muscles. These signals provide limited bandwidth and are insufficient to independently control the many degrees of freedom of a human-like robotic hand. 2. Overemphasis on Human Appearance Many modern prosthetic hands are designed primarily to resemble a real human hand for cosmetic and psychological reasons. However, replicating human anatomy mechanically often constrains functionality.

The solution

We propose developing a new generation of upper-limb prosthetic devices that prioritize functional performance over anatomical imitation. The core idea is to design prosthetic grippers inspired by robotics rather than the human hand itself. Key features of the solution: Functional Gripper Designs Instead of a full five-finger anthropomorphic hand, the system may use: adaptive three-finger grippers, underactuated robotic hands, soft robotic graspers, utility hooks, hybrid gripping systems.