# Development and Preliminary Assessment of a Tendon-Driven Thumb–Index Prosthesis with a Novel Hobbed-Pulley Actuation Mechanism

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a new tendon-driven prosthesis with a hobbed-pulley mechanism that improves efficiency and reliability, and successfully grasps objects using current-based control.

## Contribution

A novel hobbed tendon–pulley actuation mechanism is introduced to reduce tendon slippage and improve control efficiency in prosthetic hands.

## Key findings

- The hobbed-pulley mechanism successfully prevents tendon slippage and enables smoother operation.
- Current-based control allowed the prosthesis to grasp objects of various sizes and weights without external sensors.
- The design supports improved reliability and motor control efficiency, reducing mechanical failure risks.

## Abstract

Prosthetic hands have seen significant improvements in recent years, enabling increasingly more natural interactions between patients with upper limb loss and their environment. Nonetheless, progress is continuously being made to enhance user acceptance, which remains a major drawback in such systems. The efficiency of the actuation mechanism is a critical parameter when designing these devices. Maximising actuation approach efficiency enables the use of smaller and lighter motors, thus decreasing the overall weight of the solution. Simultaneously, increased efficiency contributes to more precise motor control. Within this context, the present work introduces a novel actuation concept. Conventional tendon–pulley mechanisms are often susceptible to tendon slippage; therefore, a hobbed tendon–pulley approach was investigated to maintain cable tension more consistently and efficiently. This approach aims to provide smoother operation, improved reliability, and a reduced risk of mechanical failure due to tendon slippage. Simultaneously, the capability of holding and maintaining a set force is of utmost importance in these systems, and the force-feedback system is usually a major concern. The present work also focuses on comparing current and pressure-based control methodologies for the developed prosthesis. The current-based approach had the significant advantage of not requiring external sensors to be assembled on the prosthesis and not relying on the point of application of force being inside the sensor’s active area. During these tests, the prosthesis successfully grasped various objects of different sizes, shapes, stiffnesses, and weights using a current-based approach, without observable tendon slippage.