Application

Current Progress:

Over the past decade, DARPA has led some impressive breakthroughs on their works with mind-controlled prosthetics. There has been ongoing research that shows how amputees control their remaining nerve and muscle tissue and how it might even communicate back with the wearer, restoring their sense of touch.

Under the RE-NET programme, researchers at the Case Western Reserve University has come up with the Flat Interface Nerve Electrode (FINE) that can be used to send direct sensory feedback to the arm’s owner. The nerve fibers are flattened so that several nerve fibres can be exposed to electrical currents that provide feedback, restoring their sense of touch. Direct sensory feedback enables patients to move a hand without having to keep their eyes on it, which makes some tasks such as rummaging through a bag to find items a lot easier (“New Nerve and Muscle Interfaces Aid Wounded Warrior Amputees”, 2013).

Flat Interface Nerve Electrode.

Reproduced from The Verge.

Current Products:

The Michelangelo® Hand developed by German company Ottobock and its American partner Arm Dynamics, gives users natural hand movements. It has 2 drive units, one for controlling gripping movements and force while the other controls the movement of the thumb to perform an open palm or a lateral pinch. It allows users to integrate everyday movements like cooking or driving into their lives. It consists of the AxonWrist joint that is an important part of the Axon Bus system, which enables natural movement of the wrist. Even though the hand looks sturdy, it can actually be rotated by 360 degrees and may be locked at 15-degree increments. Also, users can extend the hand to the back according to its natural model or flex the hand. The Michelangelo Hand also comes with a variety of grip types, such as an open palm or a tripod pinch etc. (“Fascinated. With Michelangelo”, n.d.)

Helix3D Hip Joint

Reproduced from Ottobock

Grip Types performed by The MIchelangelo Hand.

Reproduced from Ottobock

Flat Interface Nerve Electrode.

Reproduced from The Verge.

The HELIX3D Hip Joint System, also developed by Ottobock, makes walking easier by reducing the amount of energy needed because it controls the 3D movement of the hip joint during walking that resembles normal hip movement. There is a new kind of spring-hydraulics that controls the stance and swing and it holds a body weight of 100kg. The multi-axis joint structure produces a three-dimensional hip movement that allows pelvic rotation and promotes a natural gait pattern. The spring-hydraulics combinations supports initiation of the swing via integrated expansion springs. The HELIX3D Hip Joint System makes it easier for walking because less energy is needed. Energy stored during stance can be used to initiate the swing phase to compensate for the lack of hip muscles; this controls the 3D movement of the entire cycle.