Researchers are developing a prosthetic limb with intelligent capabilities that mimic human thinking

A team from the University of Utah has succeeded in providing an artificial hand with the ability to “think for itself” through artificial intelligence techniques, which gives these limbs an advanced level of precision and flexibility in the execution of hand movements, making them closer in their performance to the natural human hand. The study published in the journal Nature Communications explained that the researchers integrated pressure and proximity sensors into a commercial bionic hand, then trained an artificial neural network on different grip modes, allowing the prosthetic limb to move independently and synchronously with its users to improve accuracy and reduce the mental effort required to perform daily tasks. The researchers confirmed that the loss of the ability to automatically control the fingers is one of the biggest challenges that users of prosthetic limbs face. Study co-author Marshall Trout, a postdoctoral researcher at the Neurorobotics Laboratory at the University of Utah, explained that even the most advanced prosthetics still require additional mental effort from the user to open and close fingers around objects, making simple tasks like holding a cup or pen complex. Pressure sensors The researchers used artificial intelligence to address this problem, as they equipped the artificial hand with pressure sensors and precise optics that can simulate the sensation of touch. They pointed out that these sensors can detect very light objects, such as a cotton ball falling on the fingers, allowing the prosthetic limbs to move the fingers with extreme precision to form a stable grip on different objects. The team trained the neural network model on sensor data so that the fingers automatically move to the ideal distance to form a fist. They explained that each finger contains an independent sensor that can “see” in front of it, allowing each finger to work in parallel to form a balanced and stable grip on any object, emphasizing that this approach reduces the need for direct user grasping, making control smoother and more natural. The researchers also developed a biologically inspired approach to share control between the user and artificial intelligence, so that the user’s will does not interfere with the operation of the device, but rather the artificial intelligence improves the accuracy of hand movements, and makes tasks easier. Trott stated that the goal is to enhance the user’s natural abilities so that he can complete tasks without consciously thinking about them. The study was conducted with four participants who had an amputation between the elbow and the wrist, as they showed improved performance on standard tasks in addition to many daily activities that require precise movement control. The researchers explained that simple tasks, such as drinking water from a plastic cup, can be very difficult for people with prosthetic limbs, as light pressure can cause the cup to fall, and excessive pressure can break it, but artificial intelligence helped achieve the perfect balance. Removing the burden The researchers confirmed that the integration of artificial intelligence helped relieve a large part of the burden of grip control from the user, making the use of the artificial hand more natural and intelligent, and allowing users to easily complete simple tasks as if it were their real hands. The leader of the research team, Professor Jacob George, said that this development makes the control of prosthetics more intuitive and precise, and restores the simplicity of daily tasks that have lost their nature due to the loss of the hand. The researchers pointed out that the aim of the study is to improve coordination between artificial intelligence and the user’s movement, so that the artificial hand works independently but in accordance with the user’s will. They pointed out that each finger acts as an independent unit, moving automatically to achieve the ideal grip, taking into account the goal the user wants, whether to pick up or drop objects. The research team also confirmed that the success of this approach depends on the careful combination of human control and automatic control, so that artificial intelligence improves the user’s abilities without interfering in a way that hinders her wishes, and notes that this approach represents a qualitative step in the field of prosthetic limbs, since it is possible to achieve high levels of comfort and reduce the limited mental effort. They noted that the use of precise optical and pressure sensors allows prosthetic limbs to “feel” objects, similar to the natural sensation of touch, allowing the strength of the grip to be continuously adjusted according to the nature of the object being held, and note that it allows the user to handle a variety of objects of different sizes and weights without the need to manually adjust the grip. Intelligent Prosthetic Limbs The experiment represents the first time artificial intelligence has been integrated with prosthetic limbs in this way to provide an independent and intelligent grip that mimics natural human control. The experiments demonstrated the participants’ ability to perform complex tasks requiring precise control without the need for lengthy training or extensive practice. The researchers also confirmed that the innovation lies in making the prosthetic hand “think” and act automatically, while maintaining the possibility of user intervention when needed, making the prosthetic limbs more adaptable for daily use. They explained that this technology enables the development of prosthetic limbs that can learn and adapt to user patterns, increasing performance accuracy and comfort. The research team believed that improving the natural control of prosthetic limbs is an important step to reduce the rate of abandonment of prosthetic limbs, since about half of users abandon their prosthetic limbs due to the difficulty of control and the mental burden associated with it, indicating that artificial intelligence can significantly reduce these obstacles, increasing their quality of life and improving their quality of life. The results of the study also showed that smart prosthetics can restore the simplicity of daily tasks, such as holding a cup, picking up a pen or holding another person’s hand, by automatically controlling the fingers and providing accurate sensory feedback, making prosthetic limbs more natural and suitable for daily use, and also improving users’ confidence. The research team said that the integration of artificial intelligence with precise sensors allows artificial limbs to continuously learn and adapt to the individual use of each user, improving the capabilities of the hand and making it more flexible and intelligent. The researchers considered that this approach represents a major development in the field of smart prosthetics, and improves the possibilities of future design of limbs that fully mimic the human hand.