Mind Controlled Prosthetic Arm By DARPA

A prosthetic arm is an artificial extension used to replace a missing body part. Patients have had used prosthetic arms from a long time from now. Prosthetic arms use a motor to control its movements so it’s not very natural in its working. Thus, these arms even after being so high tech prove to be a bit difficult and tedious to be used. But now due to the research done by the scientist all over the world, there has been devised a method in which the artificial arm can be controlled by the human mind, making the usage a lot more simpler and natural as well.

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Prosthetic arm

A technique called Targeted Muscle Reinnervation (TMR) pioneered by Dr. Todd Kuiken at RIC (Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago) involves the transfer of residual nerves from an amputated limb to unused muscle regions in appropriate proximity to the injury. This method provides a more sensitive method to use the prosthetic arms in better and natural way. This method also provides better grip, hold and touch to the users. Another method involves connection of the nerves from a person’s stump to the muscles in his chest. The nerves previously connected to the arm pick up the signal when the person thinks about moving his chest muscles and these signals are then interpreted by the computer which then moves the prosthetic arm in the desired manner.

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) has a found a new technology to insert a microchip in the brain and control the prosthetic arm. This mind controlled robotic arm uses the microchip which decodes the signals after receiving them from the neurons and then activates the motor neurons to control the artificial arm.

In one of the researches in Europe, the scientists have managed to build a robotic arm that can be controlled by its user’s thoughts. After the loss of the user’s arm, a surgery involving the attachment of the prosthetic arm to the user was done. The surgery included implanting electrodes into the nerves remaining in the user’s arm. Once the arm was connected to the nervous system, the arm could be used by the user within a few days. The arm responded to 95% of the commands given by the user’s brain.

There a number of researches going on around the world and as long as the method is safe and simpler, it is going to prove to be a boon to the patients.

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