VOICE RECOGNITION CONTROL OF A MULTI-ARTICULATING HAND FOR IMPROVED GRASP SELECTION

Abstract

About half of upper-limb (UL) amputees do not wear a prosthesis. This is, in part, related to an inability to take full functional advantage of the prosthesis. To help address this issue, we have developed the Voice Activated Prosthesis Interface (VAPI) to allow individuals to supplement their conventional control with voice commands. Specifically, this study targeted accessing multiple grip patterns in multi-articulating hands. Data from amputee test subjects is reported showing an improvement in the time to complete tasks, more accurate grip selection, and reduced frustration with the prosthesis when using the voice recognition technology compared to standard myoelectric control.