A soft robotic hand that feels and moves like a real human hand is developed by researchers from the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT)and Imperial College London. Traditional prosthetic hands are often rigid and are difficult to control naturally, these neural-controlled prosthetic hands with flexible grip are easy to control and manipulate.
These Intuitive robotic hands controlled by brain signals are, working on two main principles: they are neural patterns from brain and electrical signals from spinal cord, to analyze and predict the movement the user wants to perform. By combining these data the artificial intelligence interprets the user’s intention and translates it into natural hand movements.
Soft materials are used for skin, tendons and ligaments while bones are made up of rigid materials for this AI-powered smart prosthetics hand. These hands naturally adapt the shape of the object making the grasping method more intelligent and effortless.
Additionally, it uses an advanced control system by tapping into motoneurons in the spinal cord that naturally sends signals to brain for hand movements. The researchers studied these signals and integrated it with the AI making the prediction process more accurate and instinctive.
The researchers made an effort to apply it to other prosthetic limps, making artificial limps more accessible and functional. Future plans to redefine the project and conduct clinical tests to test these Smart prosthetics for commercial production. This research is a major step towards creating a more natural way for the wearers to practice daily routine and improve quality of life.
