Soft robotic prosthetic hand uses nerve signals for more natural control
Recent advancements in technology have completely transformed the world of assistive and medical tools, and prosthetic limbs are no exception. Gone are the days of rigid, purely cosmetic prosthetics. Today, we are witnessing the emergence of softer, more realistic designs, many of which incorporate robotic components that greatly enhance their functionality. However, despite these exciting developments, a major challenge persists: How do we make these robotic limbs easier and more intuitive for users to control?
The control problem has long been a barrier to real-world use of advanced prosthetic limbs. After all, a highly sophisticated prosthetic hand is only as effective as the user’s ability to control it. If the control system is cumbersome or difficult to learn, it can limit the prosthetic’s functionality and ultimately impact the user’s quality of life. This is where the groundbreaking work of researchers at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) and Imperial College London comes in.
In a recent study published in Science Robotics, the team unveiled a new soft prosthetic hand designed for more intuitive control. This innovative approach combines the natural coordination patterns of our fingers with the decoding of motoneuron activity in the spinal column. By integrating these postural synergies with the analysis of electrical signals from the nervous system, the researchers can predict the hand movements a user intends to make, thus facilitating control of the prosthetic hand.
The hand itself is a marvel of engineering, featuring soft materials for the skin, tendons, and ligaments, along with rigid materials for the “bones.” This unique design allows the hand to adapt to the shape of objects, mimicking the intelligent grasping behavior of a human hand. One of the most exciting features of this prosthetic hand is its ability to perform in-hand manipulation, enabling users to adjust their grip and move objects within their hand with ease.
Initial trials of the soft prosthetic hand have shown promising results, with users able to perform complex movements and manipulate objects with greater precision and naturalness compared to other prosthetic hands. The combination of neural and postural synergies has enabled accurate and natural control of coordinated multidigit actions, showcasing the potential of this technology to revolutionize the field of prosthetics.
This innovative soft prosthetic hand represents a significant leap forward in the field of prosthetics. By prioritizing natural mechanisms and combining soft robotics with advanced neural decoding, researchers are creating prosthetic limbs that are not only functional but also intuitive and natural to use. This technology has the potential to empower individuals with limb loss, enabling them to regain lost abilities and improve their quality of life.
As further refinement and clinical trials are conducted, the future of prosthetics looks softer and smarter than ever before. The groundbreaking work of the IIT and Imperial College London team could pave the way for more advanced prosthetic limbs that enhance the lives of individuals with limb loss. This exciting development underscores the importance of mimicking the body’s natural mechanisms in designing prosthetics and holds immense promise for the future of assistive technology.
