J. E. Hanger and Company Limited

James M Nightingale

Denis R May

Mohammad Barkhordar

An artificial hand comprises a palm member and thumb and finger members movable towards and away from one another by an actuator. A cosmesis covering the actuator has a touch sensor in a cavity of the cosmesis that deforms on contact with an object. The cavity is connected via a conduit with a microphone that picks up pressure waves resulting from stick/slip motion of the object along the surface of the cosmesis. The distance between the thumb and finger members is determined by a position sensor, and muscle sensor means responsive to contraction of first and second muscle groups supplies position and control signals in first and second channels. A controller operatively connected to the actuator is responsive to the presence and/or absence of signals in the first and second channels, the magnitudes of said channel signals when they are present, the presence and absence of contact signals from the touch sensor, the output of the position sensor, and the stick/slip signal from the microphone, to adjust the relative positions of the thumb and finger members.

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Southampton, United Kingdom

James M Nightingale