Abstract
The ability to manipulate, express, and communicate through our hands is an integral part of the human experience. The loss of this ability due to amputation or congenital limb differences has a profound impact on an individual's quality of life. Powered prosthetic arms, despite offering multiple degrees of freedom, often fall short of filling this void, leading to high abandonment rates due to challenging control mechanisms and a lack of sensory feedback. This sensory disconnect is one of the obstacles to the widespread acceptance of these devices. Thus, the incorporation of sensory feedback into upper-limb prostheses emerges as a highly sought feature, promising improved control, increased embodiment, and enhanced appeal for potential users.Taking a holistic, user-centred approach, this thesis delves into the distinct needs and behaviours of individuals with upper-limb differences. It formulates guiding principles specifically tailored to the design of sensory feedback systems, bridging the gap between technological innovation and user experience. The thesis concurrently investigates the potential of temporal interference stimulation, a novel non-invasive stimulation method offering enhanced comfort, thereby increasing the likelihood of user acceptance.
The substantial contributions of this thesis encompass a critical review of the sensory feedback literature resulting in recommendations for the field; an innovative mixed-methods study dedicated to understanding user needs; an in-depth computational assessment of temporal interference stimulation; the first in-vivo neural recordings made during temporal interference stimulation; and a comprehensive examination of the comfort of temporal interference stimulation.
Steered by these findings, the thesis paves the way for an exciting new direction in sensory feedback for upper-limb prostheses. It underscores the importance of user comfort and trust in sensory feedback systems, helping propel the long-needed shift towards tackling the issue of prosthesis abandonment. Moreover, it opens the door to the development of more comfortable and efficient neuromodulation strategies, thus redefining the potential of temporal interference stimulation. The research encapsulated in this thesis is a step towards a future where upper-limb prostheses are no longer a compromise but a compelling option that offers a profoundly improved quality of life for individuals with limb differences.
| Date of Award | 4 Dec 2023 |
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| Original language | English |
| Awarding Institution |
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| Supervisor | Benjamin Metcalfe (Supervisor), Ben Ainsworth (Supervisor) & Dingguo Zhang (Supervisor) |