New Sensor Leads to Mind-Controlled Prosthetics

Feb-08-17 A sensor able to communicate with spinal cord nerves could open the door to prosthetic limbs that can be controlled by thought.

Typically, an amputated limb also results in nerve damage at the site, making it difficult to use those nerves to control a prosthetic.

To offer a better alternative, the sensor developed by a team from Imperial College London can interpret the electrical signals sent from the spinal motor neurons. This was accomplished in part by the team’s efforts to map and decode the neuron signals, and then encode specific signals into the prosthetic design. A patch containing the sensor was then connected (externally) to a healthy muscle with the nerves that control the patient’s hand and arm motions rerouted to it. According to tests on volunteers, after training the amputees were able to perform a wider range of actions simply by picturing the action.

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[DIGITALTRENDS.COM]
[IMPERIAL.AC.UK]

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