Information systems and prostheses: A good marriage

The latest generation of prostheses guarantees performance that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago; the progress made in the fields of mechanics, electronics and computers, combined with the use of materials that are ever more lightweight and resilient, has made it possible to manufacture artificial limbs that grant amputees considerable independence. This improved performance has been met with a parallel increase in the complexity of such devices, calling for increasingly sophisticated instruments for diagnosis and prosthesis maintenance. The many functions offered by the new devices often require a gradual approach whereby patients start off learning the main functions before moving on to mastering the more complex advanced functions. With this in mind, INAIL's Prosthetic Centre in Budrio (Bologna) has spent several years studying solutions that allow latest generation prostheses to be controlled from a distance. The current project, which originates from a study carried out some years ago, aims to monitor and parameterise a myoelectrically controlled upper extremity prosthesis at a distance through the Internet. The approach presented in this paper can also be used on lower limbs and electronic wheelchairs.