title: High torque ultrasonic motors for hand prosthetics: current status and trends.
abstract: This paper presents the work carried out at the Instituto de Automática Industrial, in the framework of the EU MANUS project and with the co-operation of the Katholieke Universiteit of Leuven, to develop a specifically designed TWUM for driving our prototype of hand prosthesis. The application of TWUM to prosthetic devices has clear advanteges, namely, noiseless operation, self-braking drive, high torque and low speed characteristics. Here we analyse main actuation advantages, point out main drawbacks of this technology and describe our research in the area of specific design of TWUM for high torque actuation, improved control characteristics and enhanced overall performance. We intend to provide a concurrent approach to the overall actuator design involving electronics, mechanical design as well as improved control strategies having in mind the prosthetic application.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Automática Industrial, CSIC, Ctra. Campo Real km. 0,200, 28500 Arganda del Rey, Madrid, Spain. jlpons@iai.csic.es
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Pons
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Luyckx
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Reynaerts
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ceres
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Van Brussel
mesh_terms: D001186:Artificial Limbs / Q000639:trends; D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001698:Biomedical Engineering / Q000639:trends*; D011211:Electric Power Supplies / Q000639:trends*; D006225:Hand / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D011474:Prosthesis Design / Q000639:trends*; D014465:Ultrasonics