Current commercial prosthetic limbs often use a sensor or a cable to pick up on muscle movements in a patient’s existing limb. However, these methods tend to be cumbersome, unintuitive and typically take months of practice for amputees to adapt to.
A team of researchers at the University of Minnesota have created a more accurate, less invasive alternative, based on the premise of allowing an amputee to move their prosthetic with their mind.
The new technology consists of a small, implantable device that attaches to the peripheral nerve in a person’s arm. When combined with an artificial intelligence computer and a robotic arm, the device can read and interpret brain signals, allowing upper limb amputees to control the arm using only their thoughts.
“It’s a lot more intuitive than any commercial system out there,” said Jules Anh Tuan Nguyen, a member of the team behind the device.
With other commercial prosthetic systems, when amputees want to move...