Dynamic Hand and Wrist Cadaveric Test Bed

Wrist and hand motion is continuously present and necessary in daily life, making it important that we understand the biomechanics of the joints along with the effects of injury. The use of cadaveric studies is crucial in understanding the biomechanics of the wrist and hand. Currently, most cadaveric studies on wrists are done statically, which can fail to represent the complexity of dynamic wrist motion. By developing an upper limb test rig that simulates a diverse range of dynamic hand and wrist motion, biomechanical data, such as tendon forces and joint kinematics, can be collected for various projects. The dynamic cadaveric test bed utilizes a robotic pulley system to load the tendons that actuate the wrist and hand along with a fuzzy logic control system to recreate physiological accurate wrist motions. The force and motion data collected by the dynamic cadaveric test bed can provide wholistic insight on the biomechanics of the wrist and hand in various settings. For example, the dynamic cadaveric test bed can be used to understand the biomechanical effects of different wrist injuries and their treatments. Many wrist injuries require surgical intervention, but there is limited understanding of how these treatments affect the wrist mobility and stability. After performing surgical procedures on cadaver specimens, the dynamic cadaveric test bed will be able to recreate the motions and loads that the wrist commonly experiences. Based on the data collected, these surgical procedures can be developed and validated, leading to improved treatment practices for wrist injuries.

During a 10-week summer internship after my junior year of undergrad, I independently designed, prototyped, and tested the upper limb test rig. It was exciting to learn new skills, such as Arduino and motor control. I had never tackled a project as large as this one, and I enjoyed the independence I had while designing custom 3D printable parts. I gave a 10 minute oral presentation on my work at the 2022 Undergraduate Research Symposium at University of Washington.