Comparative analysis of artificial hands : the need for reporting and test standards

Abstract

Comparative analysis is for several reasons an important aspect of research. In robotic hands, such an exercise may become very difficult or even unworkable due to various reasons. This paper is emphasizing that, in addition to their complex nature, continuous technological advancements, and other reasons found in the literature, the approach to testing and reporting is one of the sources of this problem. The level of reporting of common, artificial hand characteristics, as encountered in a small but varied sample of publications on artificial hands, has been analyzed and the findings are presented. A fresh attempt to highlight the necessity of an appropriate verification process and the benefits artificial hand research stands to gain through the implementation of a standardized test and report system, despite different project goals and fields of application, is carried out. Finally, a general discussion and some practical proposals regarding known and potential standard performance indicators are presented.