CleverHand — Hardware

This repository contains the hardware implementation of the CleverHand platform.

CleverHand is an open-source, modular Human–Machine Interface (HMI) platform designed for research, education, and rapid prototyping in neurotechnology, robotics, and human–robot interaction.

The hardware repository provides:

• modular PCB designs (KiCad),
• mechanical integration assets,
• manufacturing outputs,
• and per-module documentation and quality metadata.

This repository focuses only on hardware. Firmware, software, tools, and platform-level documentation live in sibling repositories.

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Position in the CleverHand platform

CleverHand is structured as a hardware / firmware / software stack:

• Hardware (this repo) Modular, chainable PCBs for sensing, actuation, and interfacing with the human body.

• Firmware Low-level drivers, bus control, synchronization, and data transport.

• Software & SDKs Host interfaces (GUI, Python, C++, LSL, ROS, etc.).

This separation allows:

• independent evolution of hardware and software,
• reproducible research setups,
• and multiple integration paths (DIY, PCBA, pre-assembled).

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Intended use & scope

CleverHand hardware is designed for:

• research experiments,
• educational use,
• prototyping of assistive and interactive systems.

It is not:

• a medical device,
• a certified clinical system,
• a consumer product.

All designs are provided as-is, with readiness and quality explicitly documented per module.

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Design goals & constraints

Constraint	Status	Notes
Wearable	⚒️	Wireless support in progress
≥16 channels	✅	Up to 256 channels (32 × 8)
≥2 kHz bandwidth	✅	Up to 2.5 kHz
≥16-bit resolution	✅	Up to 24-bit
Bipolar / monopolar	✅	Module-dependent
Modular	✅	1–32 modules per bus
Affordable	✅	~£10–£30 per module
Open-source	✅	Hardware, firmware, software

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Hardware architecture overview

The hardware platform is built around a chainable modular architecture.

Each CleverHand system is composed of:

• a controller (host interface and timing),
• one communication module (bus arbitration),
• one or more HMI modules, assembled from submodules.

Submodule types

HMI nodes are built by stacking standardized submodules:

• Communication submodule Address decoding, bus routing, chip-select handling.

• Sensor submodule Biosignal or motion acquisition (EMG, IMU, etc.).

• Feedback submodule User feedback (vibration, electrotactile stimulation, LEDs).

• Interface submodule Physical interface to the body (dry electrodes, jack, flex PCB).

This structure allows:

• rapid reconfiguration,
• high channel density,
• reuse of validated building blocks.

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Module catalog (hardware)

The table below lists implemented hardware designs. Readiness (prototype / reference) and quality status are tracked via description.yaml, QC artifacts, and the generated catalog — not inferred from this table.

Module	Description	Image	Documentation
Communication (COM_MOD)	Bus communication and address decoding		README
EMG ADS1293	5-channel EMG acquisition		README
EMG ADS1298	8-channel EMG acquisition		README
EMG INA331	Single-channel EMG + IMU		README
FES AO4882	Electrotactile stimulation		README
IMU ICM-20948	9-axis IMU		README
Dry electrodes (16ch)	Rigid dry electrode interface		README

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Bus architecture

CleverHand uses a shared bus architecture combining:

• a 5-bit address bus,
• SPI for high-rate data transfer,
• I²C for identification and configuration.

Each communication module:

• monitors the address bus,
• activates the chip-select of the targeted submodule,
• routes SPI transactions accordingly.

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Addressing & initialization

Module addressing is determined during an initialization phase based on physical position in the chain.

Current status:

• deterministic addressing: implemented
• dynamic hot-plugging: not yet supported

Future work will refine:

• formal initialization protocol documentation,
• dynamic re-enumeration strategies.

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Evaluation, QC & readiness

Hardware quality and maturity are explicitly tracked, not implied.

For each module:

• readiness level is declared in description.yaml,
• QC profiles and reports live in the module’s qc/ folder,
• catalog readiness is generated automatically.

Only REFERENCE-level modules are considered stable and suitable for external reuse without direct support.

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Repository structure

This repository contains the hardware designs and supporting assets for the CleverHand platform.

├── docs
│   ├── datasheet
│   ├── img
│   ├── initialisation
│   └── plots
├── LICENSE
├── pcb
│   ├── config_file
│   ├── controller
│   ├── hmi
│   └── tool
├── README.md
└── scripts

Each top-level directory has a clear, non-overlapping responsibility, described below.

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Relation to other repositories

• Firmware: see top-level CleverHand firmware repository
• Software / SDKs: see CleverHand interface repository
• Platform roadmap and policies: see top-level CleverHand README

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Status

The CleverHand hardware platform is actively evolving.

Some modules are experimental; others are approaching reference quality. Authoritative status is always given by:

• module metadata,
• QC artifacts,
• and the generated catalog.