This proposal is to develop a novel approach to the eventual design of a hand prosthesis. The PIs will first develop a formal model of grasping behavior based upon experiments on humans. They will then formulate a minimal set of control inputs that is necessary to control grasping movements. Finally, both neural network and knowledge-based approaches will be investigated as possible methods of implementing intelligent control mechanisms for an already developed hand prosthesis. The proposed work should lead to better ways of controlling artificial hands; it also may have an impact on the design of robotic manipulators.
