Tactile Feedback in Prosthetics: A Pilot Study Exploring Different Haptic Modalities
摘要
This pilot study aims to determine which tactile sensory feedback, when combined with a soft robotic prosthetic hand, provides the most advantages for person with limb loss performing everyday tasks. Five volunteers with trans-radial amputations used the new SoftHand Pro (SHP) prosthetic hand to test a study protocol that evaluated single and combined feedback modalities while accomplishing various tasks. The tactile cues provided included contact information, grasping force, degree of hand opening, and combinations thereof. To transfer such feedback, different wearable systems were employed, utilizing either vibrotactile or force stimulation in a non-invasive, modality-matching approach. The results indicate a preference among amputees for single, rather than combined, feedback modalities. The choice of appropriate haptic feedback appears to be subject- and task-specific. Furthermore, in alignment with participants’ feedback, force feedback with adequate granularity and clarity emerged as potentially the most valuable feedback type among those tested. Lastly, the study suggests that users prefer a prosthesis equipped with precise and clear feedback mechanisms.