Written by Francesca Mancuso
hand Bionic all Italian that does not need surgery to be implanted. It’s called My-Hand and has been developed by scientists at the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna of Pisa. It is able to transform the thought in motion to return and tactile sensations.
A real miracle of technology and low cost. The hand works and will soon be tested on patients. The real news, according to its creators , is in the aesthetics of the prosthesis, designed through collaboration that has been established between researchers and designers. “ E ‘a prosthesis on display and not to hide ,” said Christian Cipriani, professor at the Institute of biorobotics and coordinator of the “My-HAND” (Myoelectric-Hand prosthesis with Afferent Non-invasive feedback Delivery), which deals with the study of non-invasive technologies for the recovery of sensory and motor function after amputation of a hand.
The bionic hand developed with “My-Hand” is pursuing a process started by the same Cipriani, funded by the European Commission: the project is the “Way”, a glove and a robotic exoskeleton to restore motor control Hand in people who have suffered neurological damage. In this way they arrived to the bionic hand of My-Hand, which can be used without going through the operating room.
Having developed the aesthetic details, engineers, led by researcher Marco Controzzi, have gone to the technology and artificial intelligence: “The hand uses three electric motors and an opposable thumb, for grasping objects of different shape and different weight. Another new technology particularly rilevant consists of a mechanism invented Institute of biorobotics, subject of international patent, which, with only one engine, allows rotation of the thumb or the decline of the index alternately “ he Controzzi explained.
How does it work? It is equipped with touch sensors and has high dexterity, which allows it to fulfill all the sockets and postures needed in everyday life. Compared to its similar, it is lightweight and low cost. The movements and jacks can be activated and controlled in a natural way thanks to some wearable sensors detect the nerve signals that pass through the muscles, when you perform these movements. The sensors on the fingers also record the interactions with the environment and provide the answers to the tactile sensations with slight vibration in the remaining limb.
Once passed the tests with patients, researchers are certain that established companies or start up “ are able to understand and translate the results of project “My-HAND” in commercial products, to be soon available to amputees, at prices lower than those of a smartphone last generation. The market is potentially large: according to some estimates, every year in Europe there are more than 2 thousand new cases of amputation of the hand “.
Francesca Mancuso
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