Powered prostheses
A powered artificial limb or joint — a bionic hand, a motorised knee — that replaces a missing body part rather than assisting one that is there.
- powered prosthesis
- bionic limb
- bionic hand
- powered knee
No products in this category yet.
What it is
A powered prosthesis is a wearable robot that stands in for a limb or joint: motors move the fingers of a bionic hand or drive a knee through its swing, controlled by muscle signals, sensors in the socket or simple grip patterns. The trade is capability against weight, battery life and cost; a passive prosthesis is lighter and cheaper but cannot grasp or push on its own.
People call it a bionic limb, myoelectric hand or powered knee. In this taxonomy it sits under Wearable robot beside exoskeletons; the rule is that it replaces a body part. An exoskeleton assists an intact limb. Passive prostheses, like passive exoskeletons, are out of scope.
What they are used for
- Upper-limb replacement — multi-articulating hands with powered fingers and a rotating thumb, controlled by forearm muscle signals.
- Lower-limb replacement — microprocessor and motorised knees and ankles that supply push-off power for stairs and slopes.
- Research — the same hands are sold as research end-effectors; a hand sold for a robot arm is a component (Hand), the same hand fitted to a person is a prosthesis.
What to compare
| Attribute | Why it matters | In this catalogue |
|---|---|---|
body_region |
Upper or lower limb; the two markets share little | not yet in the catalogue |
mass |
Worn all day, so grams matter more than for any other robot | not yet in the catalogue |
battery_runtime |
A day of use is the target; less is a daily charging routine | not yet in the catalogue |
payload |
Grip load for a hand; body weight for a knee | not yet in the catalogue |
In the catalogue
No products yet — this is where myoelectric hands and powered knees from the prosthetics makers would go.
Edge cases
- Robot hand sold for arms and for people (several dexterous hands are): the product listed here is the prosthetic version; the research version is a component under Hand.
- Passive prostheses with no motor: out of scope, like passive exoskeletons.
- Powered orthosis worn over an intact but weak limb: an exoskeleton.
Related
Rule of membership
Powered actuation that replaces, rather than assists, a limb or joint. Passive prostheses are out of scope.
Category rb-8-2 in the whatrobot taxonomy.