Page 189 - Handbook of Biomechatronics

186 Georgios A. Bertos and Evangelos G. Papadopoulos

realized this and used the Bowden cable technology supplied from the air-
craft industry in prosthetics. Simpson (1974) used Bowden cables with
pneumatic actuators to build a prosthesis for children (see Fig. 4).
He was the first to coin the phrase “extended physiological
proprioception” (EPP) to indicate use of the body’s own natural physiolog-
ical sensors to relate to the operator the state of the prosthetic arm. That is,
the operator extends his own proprioception into the prosthesis. The
prosthesis becomes an extension of the amputee’s self. Simpson used pneu-
matic technology to enhance the power supplied to the prostheses and at the
same time maintained a cable linkage between the amputee and the prosthe-
sis to provide physiological feedback. Of course, the distinctive characteristic
of the system was the mechanical linkage providing proprioceptive feedback

Fig. 4 EPP Prosthesis built by Simpson. (From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosthesis.)
From https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Artificial_limbs_for_a_thalidomide_child,
_1961-1965._(9660575567).jpg