The quest for a bionic hand

Abstract

Replacing a missing upper limb with a functional one is an ancient need and desire. The need for a versatile prosthetic limb with intuitive motor control and realistic sensory feedback is huge and its development is absolutely necessary for the near future. In this paper, our recent results about the possibility to stimulate afferent nerves by using intraneural implants are briefly summarized. We showed that using this approach it is possible to restore the bidirectional connection between a dexterous hand prosthesis and the nervous system. The user was also able to improve his ability to provide useful motor commands over time. This finding can open up interesting opportunities for sensory restoration in prosthetic hands.