Somatosensation in soft and anthropomorphic prosthetic hands and legs

Conventional prostheses are incapable of reproducing full functionality of biological limbs. Continuous advancements in robotics and materials science have led to the development of soft and anthropomorphic prosthetic hands and legs. Mimicking the compliance and structure of biological limbs provides dexterity to upper limb prosthetic users, and natural gait to lower limb prosthetic users. Although soft and anthropomorphic prosthetic technology has reached a certain maturity level, technologies for restoring somatosensation still face significant challenges. Providing somatosensory feedback can improve the quality of life of amputees by augmenting the functionality of prostheses. Advanced prosthetic sensors obtain various sensory information, while ensuring compliant interaction with the environment. The development of electronic skins that combine multiple sensors and mimic functionalities of biological skin is possible with the recent advancements in materials technology. This chapter reviews soft and anthropomorphic upper and lower limb prostheses, prosthetic sensors, electronic skins, and applications of prosthetic interfaces.