A Robotic Hand Almost As Good As Real

Scientists have developed a robotic hand that can be controlled with the mind, allowing people with certain types of spinal injuries to perform everyday tasks, such as using a fork or drinking from a cup. The low-cost device was tested in Spain on six people with quadriplegia that affects one’s ability to grasp or manipulate objects. By wearing a cap that measures electric brain activity and eye movement, the users were able to send signals to a computer that controlled the glove like device attached to their hand. Participants were able to perform daily activities better with the robotic hand than without it, according to results published on 6 December in the journal Science Robotics. The principle of using brain-controlled robotic aids to assist people with quadriplegia isn’t new. But many existing systems require implants, which can cause health problems, or use wet gel to transmit signals from the scalp to the electrodes. The gel needs to be washed out of the user’s hair afterwards, making it impractical in daily life. The participants, who had previously expressed difficulty in performing everyday tasks without assistance, rater the system as reliable and practical, and did not indicate any discomfort during or after use. It took the participants just 10 minutes to learn how to use the system before they were able to carry out tasks such as picking up chips or signing a document. There were some limitations to the system though. Users had to have sufficient function in their shoulder and arm to reach out with the robotic hand. And mounting the system required another person’s help.