Communications of the ACM
Researchers Build Brain-Machine Interface to Control Prosthetic Hand
New research has demonstrated that an amputee can grasp with a bionic hand powered only by his thoughts.
Credit: University of Houston News
Researchers at the University of Houston have demonstrated a non-invasive technique for using an electroencephalogram (EEG)-based brain-machine interface to enable a subject to directly control a prosthetic hand using only their thoughts.
The subject, a 56-year-old man whose right hand had been amputated, was able to use the system to grasp objects like a water bottle and a credit card about 80 percent of the time.
Previous research using surgically-implanted electrodes or sensors detecting electrical signals from muscles in the arm have shown similar success rates.
The researchers used an EEG to monitor the brain activity of five able-bodied, right-handed participants as they grasped and picked up objects. The data were used to create decoders of neural activity into motor signals that could translate the thoughts of the amputee subject into movement commands relayed to the prosthetic hand.
Beyond demonstrating that non-invasive EEG control of prosthetics is possible, the researchers believe their findings also could be applied to the rehabilitation of serious neurological injuries such as stroke and spinal cord injuries. The research was able to show brain activity anticipates and predicts motor commands, rather than simply reflects them.
From University of Houston News
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