EASIER- TO- USE PROSTHETIC HANDS, THANKS TO NEW TECH

Washington, May 23: Scientists have developed a new technology to make prosthetic wrists and hands easier for patients to use.

The technology developed by researchers from North Carolina State University in the US relies on computer models that closely mimic the behaviour of the natural structures in the forearm, wrist and hand.

It could also be used to develop new computer interface devices for applications such as gaming and computer- aided design ( CAD).

Current state- of- the- art prosthetics rely on machine learning to create a “pattern recognition” approach to prosthesis control.

This approach requires users to “teach” the device to recognise specific patterns of muscle activity and translate them into commands — such as opening or closing a prosthetic hand.

“Pattern recognition control requires patients to go through a lengthy process of training their prosthesis,” says He Huang, a professor at North Carolina State University.

“We wanted to focus on what we already know about the human body,” said Huang.

The researchers developed a user- generic, musculoskeletal model.

They placed electromyography sensors on the forearms of six able- bodied volunteers, tracking exactly which neuromuscular signals were sent when they did actions.

This data was then used to create the generic model, which translated those neuromuscular signals into commands that manipulate a powered prosthetic.