Development of Liquid Diene Rubber Based Highly Deformable Interactive Fiber-Elastomer Composites

The preparation of intelligent structures for multiple smart applications such as soft-robotics, artificial limbs, etc., is a rapidly evolving research topic. In the present work, the preparation of a functional fabric, and its integration into a soft elastomeric matrix to develop an adaptive fiber-elastomer composite structure, is presented. Functional fabric, with the implementation of the shape memory effect, was combined with liquid polybutadiene rubber by means of a low-temperature vulcanization process. A detailed investigation on the crosslinking behavior of liquid polybutadiene rubber was performed to develop a rubber formulation that is capable of crosslinking liquid rubber at 75 °C, a temperature that is much lower than the phase transformation temperature of SMA wires (90–110 °C). By utilizing the unique low-temperature crosslinking protocol for liquid polybutadiene rubber, soft intelligent structures containing functional fabric were developed. The adaptive structures were successfully activated by Joule heating. The deformation behavior of the smart structures was experimentally demonstrated by reaching a 120 mm bending distance at an activation voltage of 8 V without an additional load, whereas 90 mm, 70 mm, 65 mm, 57 mm bending distances were achieved with attached weights of 5 g, 10 g, 20 g, 30 g, respectively.

Introduction

This introductory chapter sets out the book’s argument that nineteenth-century prosthesis narratives, though presented in a predominantly ableist and sometimes disablist manner, challenge the dominance of physical completeness as they question the logic of prostheticization or present non-normative subjects in threateningly powerful ways. The chapter positions this argument in relation to various scholarly fields, including disability studies, Victorian studies, the history of science and technology, and literature and science. It addresses several methodological questions, including those pertaining to the prosthetic devices, historical period, and specific sources selected for investigation. In responding to these questions, the chapter provides potted histories of the technological developments of nineteenth-century artificial limbs, eyes, teeth, and hair. It also explains the author’s decision to use terms such as wholeness and incompleteness.

(IN) ACCESS TO ARTIFICIAL LIMBS: THE PATIENT’S PERSPECTIVE ACCORDING TO THE WAR AMPS OF CANADA

Funding agencies, both public and private, do not adequately meet the needs of Canadian amputees. This often leaves amputees without access to appropriate prosthetic care due to outstanding balances that are to be paid out of pocket, or by charitable organizations. There are several factors that result in these inadequacies. As healthcare is a provincial responsibility in Canada, provinces and territories have the authority to create individual public regimes, each with their own weaknesses. In fact, there are a few provincial regimes which do not include prosthetic funding at all. Private healthcare is meant to offset the remaining balance; however, their lack of knowledge regarding amputation has resulted in the creation of policies with ambiguous language, limiting the funding available for prosthetic care. Attitudinal barriers and missed legislative opportunities further exacerbate the shortcomings of prosthetic funding provided by public and private funding agencies, requiring action. Article PDF Link:https://jps.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/cpoj/article/view/35972/28331 How To Cite: Petlock A, DiMario K. (In) Access to artificial limbs: the patient’s perspective according to the WAR AMPS of Canada. Canadian Prosthetics & Orthotics Journal. 2021; Volume 4, Issue 2, No.13. https://doi.org/10.33137/cpoj.v4i2.35972 Corresponding Author: Annelise PetlockThe War Amps Advocacy Program/ 2827 Riverside Drive Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.E-Mail: [email protected] ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7273-4527

Bodily ownership of an independent supernumerary limb: An exploratory study

Can our brain perceive a sense of ownership towards an independent supernumerary limb; one that can be moved independently of any other limb and provides its own independent movement feedback? Following the rubberhand illusion experiment, a plethora of studies has shown that the human representation of ‘self’ is very plastic. But previous studies have almost exclusively investigated ownership towards ‘substitute’ artificial limbs, which are controlled by the movements of a real limb and/or limbs from which non-visual sensory feedback is provided on an existing limb. Here, to investigate whether the human brain can own an independent artificial limb, we first developed a novel independent robotic ‘sixth finger.’ We allowed participants to train using the finger and examined whether it induced changes in the body representation using behavioral as well as cognitive measures. Our results suggest that unlike a substituted artificial limb (like in the rubber hand experiment), it is more difficult for humans to perceive a sense of ownership towards an independent limb. However, ownership does seem possible, as we observed clear tendencies of changes in the body representation that correlated with the cognitive reports of the sense of ownership. Our results provide the first evidence to show that an independent supernumerary limb can be embodied by the human brain.

Exploring the Embodiment of a Virtual Hand in a Spatially Augmented Respiratory Biofeedback Setting

Enhancing the embodiment of artificial limbs—the individuals' feeling that a virtual or robotic limb is integrated in their own body scheme—is an impactful strategy for improving prosthetic technology acceptance and human-machine interaction. Most studies so far focused on visuo-tactile strategies to empower the embodiment processes. However, novel approaches could emerge from self-regulation techniques able to change the psychophysiological conditions of an individual. Accordingly, this pilot study investigates the effects of a self-regulated breathing exercise on the processes of body ownership underlying the embodiment of a virtual right hand within a Spatially Augmented Respiratory Biofeedback (SARB) setting. This investigation also aims at evaluating the feasibility of the breathing exercise enabled by a low-cost SARB implementation designed for upcoming remote studies (a need emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic). Twenty-two subjects without impairments, and two transradial prosthesis users for a preparatory test, were asked (in each condition of a within-group design) to maintain a normal (about 14 breaths/min) or slow (about 6 breaths/min) respiratory rate to keep a static virtual right hand “visible” on a screen. Meanwhile, a computer-generated sphere moved from left to right toward the virtual hand during each trial (1 min) of 16. If the participant's breathing rate was within the target (slow or normal) range, a visuo-tactile event was triggered by the sphere passing under the virtual hand (the subjects observed it shaking while they perceived a vibratory feedback generated by a smartphone). Our results—mainly based on questionnaire scores and proprioceptive drift—highlight that the slow breathing condition induced higher embodiment than the normal one. This preliminary study reveals the feasibility and potential of a novel psychophysiological training strategy to enhance the embodiment of artificial limbs. Future studies are needed to further investigate mechanisms, efficacy and generalizability of the SARB techniques in training a bionic limb embodiment.

Relationship between clinical anger and suicidal ideation among people with physical disabilities

Present research was intended to examine the association between suicidal ideation and clinical anger among the physically disabled. The Purposive Convenient study was conducted at Artificial Limbs Centre, Fauji Foundation Hospital Rawalpindi from February 2016 to November 2016. The modified scale for suicidal ideation and the clinical anger scale were used for data collection. Sample comprised of 150 physically disabled individuals including 87 (56%) males and 63 (42%) females. Findings revealed that suicidal ideation had significant positive relationship with clinical anger and females were significantly higher in clinical anger and suicidal ideation as compared to males. Furthermore,results revealed higher mean scores on clinical anger by the participants having the problem of spinal cord 26.10±9.25 and suicidal ideation is higher in persons having problem of polio 15.87±9.41as compared to other physical disabilities. The study highlighted the need develop and enhance mental and physical health. Continuous...

Grasping Embodiment: Haptic Feedback for Artificial Limbs

Upper-limb prostheses are subject to high rates of abandonment. Prosthesis abandonment is related to a reduced sense of embodiment, the sense of self-location, agency, and ownership that humans feel in relation to their bodies and body parts. If a prosthesis does not evoke a sense of embodiment, users are less likely to view them as useful and integrated with their bodies. Currently, visual feedback is the only option for most prosthesis users to account for their augmented activities. However, for activities of daily living, such as grasping actions, haptic feedback is critically important and may improve sense of embodiment. Therefore, we are investigating how converting natural haptic feedback from the prosthetic fingertips into vibrotactile feedback administered to another location on the body may allow participants to experience haptic feedback and if and how this experience affects embodiment. While we found no differences between our experimental manipulations of feedback type, we found evidence that embodiment was not negatively impacted when switching from natural feedback to proximal vibrotactile feedback. Proximal vibrotactile feedback should be further studied and considered when designing prostheses.

Seeing the whole man: a visualist analysis of artificial limbs at the end of the nineteenth century

The thesis uses the central concerns of visual culture studies to investigate the shift towards artificial limbs that imitate the body as identified by Steven Mihm (2002). Drawing on a modified, less utopian, form of critical discourse analysis, which recognizes the sociocultural power of the visual, this thesis interrogates the promotional literature that the A.A. Marks Company, an artificial limb manufacturer, produced between 1888 and 1920. This thesis critically analyzes the techniques used by the company to assert their authority to frame their relationship to their clients. In addition, this analysis interrogates the company's use of the technologies of vision to champion visually imitative prosthesis. The goal of this analysis is to determine how the company deployed the turn towards the imitative, and what was at stake for the producers, and consumers, as well as the wider culture in the use of imitative limbs.

Seeing the whole man: a visualist analysis of artificial limbs at the end of the nineteenth century

The thesis uses the central concerns of visual culture studies to investigate the shift towards artificial limbs that imitate the body as identified by Steven Mihm (2002). Drawing on a modified, less utopian, form of critical discourse analysis, which recognizes the sociocultural power of the visual, this thesis interrogates the promotional literature that the A.A. Marks Company, an artificial limb manufacturer, produced between 1888 and 1920. This thesis critically analyzes the techniques used by the company to assert their authority to frame their relationship to their clients. In addition, this analysis interrogates the company's use of the technologies of vision to champion visually imitative prosthesis. The goal of this analysis is to determine how the company deployed the turn towards the imitative, and what was at stake for the producers, and consumers, as well as the wider culture in the use of imitative limbs.

Adding Brand: Design, Branding and Additive Manufacture in the production of tangible prosthetic products.

<p><b>Design, Branding and Additive Manufacture in the production of tangible prosthetic products. </b></p><p>For the New Zealand Artificial Limbs Service, (NZALS) prosthetic design has skipped the mechanisation and mass production paradigm seen in the automation of consumer production. This industry predominantly uses traditional hand fabrication methods to produce prosthetics as a one-off appendage. This research asks; how can design communicate the possibilities of Additive Manufacture? </p><p>This research addresses the creation of branded designed products for the NZALS, and as a result, exposes the predominantly service based industry of the NZALS to a product focused methodology through traditional </p><p>industrial design practices. This has been achievable by investigating emerging platforms of manufacturing in both Digital and Additive Manufacturing (3D printing), with the development of the designs in this research focused on brand, client and company identity. This focus addresses the integration of an Industry 4.0 model in favour of the amputee client, and realises future outlooks of prosthetic production envisioned by the NZLAS. </p><p>Design research in this thesis has seen the creation of two prosthetic products. Firstly, a below-the- knee Prosthetic Fairing (Easycover), and secondly, a fully 3D printed below-the- knee prosthetic (Easylimb). The research undertaken shows the importance of creating tangible and readymade products to allow the NZALS, it’s staff and amputee clientele, to understand the benefits of design, branding, and emerging platforms of manufacture in the production of prosthetic diversity. </p>