Revolutionizing Prosthetic Control: CSUN’s Smart Prosthetics Project
CSUN Smart Prosthetics Team Lead Photo. From left to right: Ian Sherrill, Matthew Hoffman, Dr. Peter Bishay, Gerbert Funes Alfaro. Photo by Spencer. J. H. Yang
A transformation in prosthetic technology is unfolding in CSUN’s College of Engineering and Computer Science, where a team of engineering students is reimagining how artificial limbs can function, feel, and transform lives. Led by Gerbert Funes Alfaro, Matthew Hoffman, and Ian Sherrill, under the guidance of Dr. Peter Bishay, the Smart Prosthetics project has evolved from a department initiative into a comprehensive research program that could reshape the future of prosthetic design.
The project’s origins trace back to 2017, born from Dr. Bishay’s innovative vision for a senior design project. “At the time, the department was interested in adding a new senior design project,” he recalls. “I was reading some research papers on using shape memory alloy wires as actuators for the fingers in a prosthetic arm. And they felt that this application can be a topic for a new project, especially with the focus of the students who are interested in biomechanics and in prosthesis design.”
What began as an exploration of prosthetic improvements has blossomed into a multifaceted research endeavor, focusing on three critical areas: arm actuation, foot control, and haptic feedback. Each component represents a unique challenge in prosthetic design, and the team’s solutions demonstrate remarkable ingenuity.
In the realm of arm actuation, Ian Sherrill’s team has achieved a new standard in prosthetic design that prioritizes both functionality and user comfort. Through innovative 3D printing techniques, they’ve created a lighter, more practical device. “The previous cohorts design weighed 428g. With my redesign, this now weighs 218g. I have cut the weight down almost entirely by half,” Sherrill explains.
But the team’s commitment extends beyond weight reduction. Sherrill emphasizes their focus on accessibility and maintenance: “You know, we don’t want to make something that’s isn’t cost-efficient, like a carbon fiber body. On the topic of modularity, it’s the ability to just open this up, take that off and mess around inside of it that ensures ease of access to users.”
Prosthetic Arm and Foot Control System Rendering.
Alongside this, one of the most innovative aspects of the project is the foot control system, led by Gerbert Funes Alfaro. His team has developed a sophisticated strap-based design that transforms how users interact with their prosthetic arms, using toe movements for precise control. The evolution of this system showcases the iterative nature of their innovation process. “Through each further iteration we decided to see, what if we can have this strap device around the foot, or add another controller to make it also wireless, or why not have two independent systems for tracking,” Alfaro explains.
And finally, the project has also made significant strides in addressing one of prosthetics’ most challenging frontiers: the sense of touch. Matthew Hoffman’s haptic feedback team has developed a groundbreaking system that bridges the sensory gap between artificial limbs and the human nervous system. Their glove-based design provides nuanced feedback about pressure and contact, enabling more precise control and natural interaction.
The versatility of their haptic system represents a particular breakthrough. As Dr. Bishay explains, “Our main achievement this year is developing the haptic feedback system as a standalone unit. Because it’s designed as a glove, it can work with any prosthetic arm on the market.” This universal compatibility opens new possibilities for upgrading existing prosthetics with advanced sensory capabilities.
With all these technological innovations, it’s no wonder that the team has garnered significant recognition in academic and scientific circles. “So far we have published three papers,” Dr. Bishay notes. “The most powerful paper was published in Prostheses Journal in 2023… this paper is describing everything, and I expect we will be publishing also another paper to talk about the new designs.” He speaks with evident pride about their achievements: “We have received a lot of awards since we started. Even the first year, the first cohort, received the grand prize in the Senior Design Project Showcase.”
At the heart of the project’s success lies Dr. Bishay’s unique mentorship approach. “I consider myself a key member in this project. I work with them and we are so hands on that we can think together, come up with ideas, and build together.” As Sherrill attests, “Doctor Bishay does not knock down an idea. He will see it through and make sure you can see it through until someone finds out if it’s going to work or not.”
For Gerbert Funes Alfaro, these personal connections with Dr. Bishay have been instrumental to his success. Emotionally, he added: ” I didn’t know where I was going with in terms of my future. I was just trying to graduate and find a job. ever since I found out about smart prosthetics, my life changed. Doctor Bishay gave me the future I never thought I would have.”
As Dr. Bishay and his team continue their work, the college is excited to see how they’ll continue shaping the future of assistive technology and transforming lives in the process. Dr. Bishay envisions expanding the project’s impact beyond the laboratory. “Our focus is not mainly to go to the market. However, if we can actually build or create something called the Prosthetics Research Center, we can actually build arms that can be used by real amputees.” This proposed center would serve as a bridge between academic research and practical application, bringing their innovations to those who need them most. Truly this project is a testament to how university research can advance solutions to bettering people’s lives.
