Photograph courtesy of Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy.
Researchers with the BioRobotics Institute at Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna (SSSA), Pisa, Italy, have unveiled a new, low-cost, lightweight myoelectric prosthetic hand that restores sensory perception to the user without the need for surgical intervention. The device, dubbed the MY-HAND, which stands for Myoelectric-Hand prosthesis with Afferent feedback Noninvasive Delivery, was funded by a ?400,000 grant from the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research, which is dedicated to the development of noninvasive technologies to facilitate the recovery of sensory and motor functions in people who have a hand amputation.
The prosthesis was a collaborative effort between researchers and designers, a result that they said combines functionality and robustness with aesthetic refinement. It is now ready to undergo clinical trials.
The hand translates the user’s intended movements and returns tactile sensations. The movements and hand grips can be activated and controlled in an almost natural manner through wearable sensors that detect nerve signals derived from muscle movements. Touch sensors integrated on the fingers record interactions with the environment and can return tactile sensations via a system of small vibrators implanted in the residual limb without the need for surgical intervention.
“The hand uses three electric motors and an opposable thumb to grasp objects of different shapes and different weight,” said one of the researchers, Marco Controzzi, PhD, an SSSA assistant professor of biomedical robotics. “Another new technology is particularly relevant,” he added, “which consists of a mechanism invented at the Institute of BioRobotics…, which with only one engine, alternately allows rotation of the thumb or the flexion of the index finger. This possibility ensures the execution of varied grips without affecting the weight but ensuring high robustness.”
Editor’s note: This story was adapted from materials provided by Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna.