USA based scientists have developed a new piece of technology that allows amputees to control a prosthetic arm by simply using their mind. It’s called “nerve interface technology”, and it works by using muscle grafts, machine algorithms and electrodes to magnify the amputees’ faint nerve signals. These amplified nerve signals are then sent to the prosthetic limb in real time, effectively mimicking the function of a real limb. The technology, which until now existed only in the fictional world, is still in its early testing stage, and has only been applied to prosthetic arms thus far. Study co-author Dr Robert Oneal, of the University of Michigan, has labelled this “the biggest advance in motor control for people with amputations in many years.” The study used only four test subjects and each used the already existing Mobius Bionics LUKE arm.
Initially, the researchers and developers found that the nerve signals in the amputated limb were too weak to be received by the electrodes they had inserted in the prosthetic arm, but by placing miniscule muscle grafts around the nerves, they were able to increase the strength of these signals. During the trial, the four participants were able to continuously pick up objects, make hand signals and move their fingers and thumbs individually simply by using thought. According to the researchers, the nerve interface worked for a little under one year before needing any adjustments or recalibration. One participant claimed, “It’s just like having a hand again… It brings back a sense of normality.” As of now, the researchers are planning on taking the technology into clinical trials.
