Amputee Can Control His Bionic Hand with His Thoughts Using a Non-Invasive Technique

Robotics and prosthetics are moving forward by leaps and bounds. Now, researchers have created an algorithm that allowed a man to grasp a bottle and other objects with a prosthetic hand, powered only by his thoughts.

The researchers first captured brain activity to find out which parts of the brain are involved in grasping an object. Then, they created a computer program, or brain-machine interface (BMI), that can harness a person's intentions and allow the person to successfully grasp objects.

The new technique is actually non-invasive. The researchers measured brain activity with the help of scalp electroencephalogram, or EEG. The researchers placed the device on a 56-year-old man's hand whose right hand had been amputated. Then, he was asked to pick up several objects. He was able to control his prosthetic limb and successful grasp objects that included a water bottle and credit card.

"Current upper limb neuroprosthetics restore some degree of functional ability, but fail to approach the ease of use and dexterity of the natural hand, particularly for grasping movements," write the researchers in a news release. "Further, the inherent risks associated with surgery required to implant electrodes, along with the long-term stability of recorded signals, is of concern. Here we show that it is feasible to extract detailed information on intended grasping movements to various objects in a natural, intuitive manner, from a plurality of scalp EEG signals."

The new algorithm could be huge in terms of helping amputees live a more comfortable life. Until now, this particular ability was thought only to be possible with brain signals acquired invasively inside the surface of the brain. This latest research shows that it's also possible with non-invasive techniques.

Currently the success rate of grasping objects is only at 80 percent, but the scientists are confident that with future research and refining, they can up that number to 100 percent.

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