Design and prototyping of a low- cost myoelectric-controlled prosthetic hand

Abstract

Upper-limb amputations present a significant barrier to independence, especially in developing regions where advanced prosthetic technologies are either unavailable or prohibitively expensive. This project addresses that gap by designing and implementing a low-cost prosthetic hand controlled through surface electromyographic (sEMG) signals. A single Advancer Technologies Muscle Sensor v3 was used to capture electrical activity from the flexor digitorum profundus muscle in the forearm. The analog signals were processed by an ATmega328P microcontroller using real-time filtering and threshold logic to control servo motors corresponding to finger movement. A custom-assembled printed circuit board (PCB) integrated all electronic components, and the physical hand was fabricated from lightweight PVC and aluminium, ensuring low cost and mechanical durability. The final prototype demonstrated that EMG-based systems can be a practical and replicable solution for upper-limb amputees, particularly in low-resource settings such as Zimbabwe.