Evolution of elbow prosthesis transmission

Many artificial arms include myoelectric hands and passive elbows. Only at given conditions myoelectrics elbows can profitably substitute the passive ones, with userspsila satisfaction. They must guarantee durability, low noise, adequate torque, low power consumption, low weight, easy motion control and natural movements. Most of these objectives can be reached by good mechanical design of the system. The paper shows the evolution of a project of an artificial elbow developed during the last ten years, comparing four different prostheses. It describes the kinematical analysis of each device, highlighting their mechanical efficiency and the feelings and comfort of patients.