Newcastle University will lead the development of a prosthetic hand controlled by the nervous system after receiving £1.4 million by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
The university research team aim to create the prosthetic hand to give users a 'sense feedback' by communicating directly with the brain – a major advance in the field of prosthetics.
Also involving experts from the universities of Leeds, Essex, Keele, Southampton and Imperial College London, the study hopes to create electrodes in the bionic limb that would wrap around the nerve endings in the arm.
The device looks to improve upon current prosthetics by building fingertip sensors to give the prosthesis a realistic sense of touch, including pressure, shear and temperature. In addition, a ‘virtual hand’ will provide information on the sense of the hand’s position and movement, known as proprioception. Finally, the system will translate the signals to a form the brain understands and stimulate the nervous system to help the user control the hand.
Dr Kianoush Nazarpour, a lecturer in Biomedical Engineering at Newcastle University and leader of the study, said: "The UK leads the way in the design of prosthetic limbs but until now one of the limiting factors has been the technology to allow the hand to communicate with the brain.
"If we can design a system that allows this two-way communication it would help people to naturally reach out and pick up a glass, for example, whilst maintaining eye contact in a conversation, or pick up an apple without bruising it.
"This will advance the field of prosthetics, provide enhanced function to prosthesis users, and also reduce the time involved to learn how to use the device because the movements will come naturally.
"The technology will also have applications for patients with neurological conditions where reduced sensation is a factor."
The EPSRC has awarded funding two other university-led research studies also looking into improving assistive and rehabilitative devices. This saw £2 million awarded to a collaborative project involving the University of Bristol, University of the West of England, University of Nottingham, University of Leeds, University of Strathclyde, University of Southampton and Loughborough University. The study will develop soft robotic clothing to enable those with mobility impairments, disabilities and age-related weakness to move easily and unaided and to live independently.
This intelligent clothing or ‘second skin’ will use artificial ‘muscles’ made from smart materials and reactive polymers which are capable of exerting great forces. This will be developed using the latest wearable soft robotic, nanoscience, 3D fabrication, functional electrical stimulation and full-body monitoring technologies, all driven by the need of the end users, who will also be directly involved in the project.
The third project will see the University of Warwick partner with Cardiff University, University of Kent, University College London, Oxford Brookes University, University of Salford and University of York. Awarded £1.86 million, researchers will design and develop cheap, disposable, unobtrusive bio-sensors such as temporary tattoos and smart watches to use with patients who use wheelchairs or prosthetics, patients requiring rehabilitation, as well as older people.
The study will collect data and monitor how patients use equipment provided to them, and also measure how they follow exercise advice at home, for example, after a stroke or accident. The research will also develop software that uses the biosensor information to support users with their equipment or exercises in their own home.
Philip Nelson, chief executive of ESPRC, said: “These research studies will improve patients’ lives, allow greater independence and benefit patients with a wide range of mobility and co-ordination difficulties. With the UK’s ageing population and a rise in disabilities, this highlights one area of investment in healthcare research which has a national impact.”
The three research projects will start work in the spring.