Remember the bionic arms of Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, the science fiction movie of George Lucas?
Is it possible to build a similar prosthetic arm that enables amputees to feel when they hold things with their hands? A prosthetic arm, which will make amputees feel as if it’s a part of the body and not a foreign object – an arm that can be controlled by mind just like the natural one?
“It’s absolutely possible to improve the present day prosthetics into bionic arms that would enable users to feel objects when they touch it, which is usually not the case. We are developing the technology that would enable prosthetic hands communicate with brain,” says lecturer in bio-medical engineering, New Castle University, Dr. Kianoush Nazarpour.
The bio-medical engineer, who was in Hyderabad on a brief visit, heads a team of researchers drawn from a clutch of universities in UK, involved in developing bionic arm that would mimic the real arm.
The researcher told The Hindu that it was possible to enable persons with missing limbs to operate objects by controlling their robotic hands through mind. “We are designing a system that allows people to naturally pick up things such as a book or a glass. At present, if persons with prosthetics have to lift a book, they have to look at the book to make sure they are holding it properly. Our design enables such persons to do a host of activities such as lifting a book like normal people do,” he explains.
The researcher pointed out that while the project is set to take off for real world testing, numerous challenges however remain.
“We are using a chip, which has to be implanted inside the arm. The chip obviously will send impulses to the brain. These impulses are normal electronic signals but we have to make the brain understand the signals. The biggest challenge is also to find the right interface with the body because we will be introducing a foreign object and the human body has to accept it,” Dr. Kianoush explains.
According to the researcher, bionic arms consist of sensors, electrodes and implantable electronics that go into the human body. “Most of the sensors usually detect pressure. However, we have sensors that can detect sheer force along with pressure, which is important for prosthetic hands to grasp and move the fingers,” he explains.Then there are electrodes that would interact with the peripheral nerves of the human arm. “This technology will advance the field of prosthetics. Moreover, it will be applicable for other patients with neurological disorders like issues with sensation,” he explains.
The development of a bionic arm is part of a multi-site, cross-disciplinary project that enabled technologies to restore sensory in assistive devices. The project is worth 1.44 million UK pounds funded by Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council of UK and includes Universities of Leeds, Essex, Keele, Southampton, Imperial College of London. It is being led by Newcastle University.
‘We are designing a system that allows people to naturally pick up things such as a book or a glass’, says Dr. Kianoush Nazarpour
