Design, implementation and evaluation of an embedded electronic system for the control of a trans-radial prosthesis

Abstract

This thesis presents the design of an embedded electronic platform intended for use by students of the CYBATHLON project course offered at Technische Universität München (TUM) to develop an improved trans-radial prosthesis in the lead up to the CYBATHLON 2024 Competition. The design of the new platform was based on the analysis of limitations of the current electronics platform and the current state-of-the-art commercial and research prostheses. The necessary hardware and firmware was developed to operate the diverse hardware elements and facilitate tasks such as motor control, sensor feedback and real-time communication. The comprehensive electronics platform was then verified with the help of a test bench. Three main improvements to the existing CyberTUM prosthesis were realised through this work. The newly developed electronics platform achieved a 290% reduction in electronics footprint from the previous platform, while still providing additional features and supporting four Brushless DC (BLDC) motors. The new design provides a high level of flexibility not previously possible. The defined expansion interfaces can be used to customise the supported functionality without affecting rest of the platform in order to minimise the effort required to support new features or future prosthesis configurations. Finally, the sensor implementation was improved and protection features were added to improve robustness. A fully functional prototype was created, assembled and tested and the required firmware was developed. The design provisions made will enable future students to develop the next generation CyberTUM prosthesis. The improved electronic design capabilities will empower the team to tackle the challenges of the CYBATHLON 2024 Competition