The Emerging World of Neuroprosthetics
Our brains are networks of neurons, nerve cells that transmit information using electrical and chemical signals. Let’s narrow our view on that part of the brain responsible for planning, control, and execution of voluntary motion — the motor cortex. To record electrical signals from the motor cortex, we’re aware of three main approaches. The first two are electroencephalograms (EEGs), a series of electrodes placed on a subject’s scalp, and electrocorticography (ECoG), surgically inserting electrodes into the brain.
Neuroprosthetics: The 21st century also known as the digital age is an era marked by rapid adoption of information technologies. Artificial intelligence (AI) has taken the world by storm and new advancements are on the rise in the field of robotics.
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Scientists could create neuroprosthetics for vision and hearing based on studies investigating how visual and auditory neurons functions Visual Neuroprosthetics or Retinal implants. In the case of auditory, sound waves pulsate the eardrum, which conveys the vibrations to a series of little bones inside the ear. Eventually, those mechanical vibrations are transformed into electrical signals by inward ear sensory cells called hair cells. Hair cells then convey these signals to the hearing nerve, which delivers the message from the inner ear to the brain. The procedure is similar to vision, despite the fact, photoreceptors cells located at the back of the eye in a tissue called the retina, create electrical signals when stimulated by light. They connect with the optic nerve to pass on visual info. A developed prosthetics can immensely negate the disabilities of individuals with ear, vision or limb disabilities. These can substitute the natural functions of the body and even can make them superior with the latest developments.
One incredible use of AI and robotics is through neuroprosthetics. Neuroprosthetics are devices that convert brain’s intentions into external actions as well as translate environmental stimuli input directly to the nervous system like the bionic ear and cochlear implant.
The merge between neuroengineering and robotics is paving the way to the future where prosthetics can restore functionality of a lost limb by shared control. Shared control is a system that not only has user control but also automation components.
One new improvement in shared control technology is the work done by Silvestro Micera and colleagues. They recently published in Nature Machine Intelligence their work on the development of a smart artificial hand that can aid amputees.
Signals from the amputee’s stump were detected by the sensors and learnt by the machine to distinguish between different finger movement patterns. Next they worked on engineering the algorithm for the grasping ability of the robotic hand on user’s action.
The algorithm enables the prosthetic hand to close its fingers and grasp an object when the surface sensors come in contact with an object. In order to test the algorithm the subject, an able-bodied individual, was assigned the task of moving a water bottle from one platform to another that was 30 cm away.