Prosthetic Hand Restores Feelings in Real Time

Feb-07-14 For the first time, a volunteer has demonstrated a mind-controlled prosthetic hand able to transmit sensations back to the user.

Dennis Aabo Sørensen, who lost his hand in an accident nine years ago, was able to feel different kinds of pressure with three fingers of his new hand. Attaching the prosthetic hands required surgery to implant electrodes into Sørensen’s ulnar (corresponding with the pinky) and median (corresponding with the thumb and index finger) nerves. The scientists equipped the prosthetic with sensors able to convert the pressure into an electrical current, then used computer algorithms to translate the electrical current in way the nerves in Sørensen’s arm would be able to read as sensations.

With his new prosthetic, Sørensen could determine not only how tightly he was squeezing an object, but also its shape and material—all in real time.

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[DISCOVERY.COM]
[POP SCIENCE]

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