Title: Motorised bionic arms using SSVEP with enhanced hand gesture accuracy and reliability

Authors: Jahanzeb Sheikh; Tan Tian Swee; Maheza Irna Mohamad Salim; Michael Loong Peng Tan; Hum Yan Chai; Tengku Ahmad T. Alang

Addresses: Bioinspired Device and Tissue Engineering Research Group, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM, Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi, Pakistan ' Bioinspired Device and Tissue Engineering Research Group, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM, Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia; IJN-UTM Cardiovascular Engineering Centre, Institute of Human Centered Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia ' Diagnostic Research Group, Health and Wellness Research Alliance, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia ' Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM, Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia ' Department of Mechatronics and Biomedical Engineering, Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia ' Centre of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cyberjaya, Malaysia

Abstract: The development of motorised bionic arms has been a significant focus in prosthetics. This study explored the design and implementation of a motorised bionic arm, with particular emphasis on enhanced hand gesture accuracy and reliability. Initially, the functional circuit and algorithm were designed, followed by the development of a motorised framework to control a 3D-printed real-time bionic arm, utilising steady state visually evoked potential (SSVEP) stimuli. The system's effectiveness was evaluated through accuracy and reliability tests on repeatability of gestures such as hand open, hand close, thumb up, and pointing, induced by four flickering frequencies between the range of (10–20 Hz). Findings revealed a mean accuracy of 97.5%, with individual accuracy rates ranging from 88.75% to 100%. Over the 30 tests, average angles were 168.8° (pointing), 169° (thumb up), 174.5° (open), and 132.17° (close), demonstrating consistent performance. These results contribute valuable insights into the design, control, and evaluation of motorised prosthetic devices, providing users with a more intuitive and reliable means of restoring hand functionality.

Keywords: bionic arm; degree of freedom; DoF; hand gestures; motorised; prosthetic; 3D printed prosthetic.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBET.2025.145218

International Journal of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, 2025 Vol.47 No.4, pp.332 - 347

Received: 29 Jul 2024
Accepted: 19 Oct 2024
Published online: 26 Mar 2025 *

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