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We geeks all have the same platonic prosthesis ideal: Luke Skywalker’s badass Star Wars mech-hand. We’re getting there, bit by bit. Dennis Aabo Sørensen’s new hand is almost there; it let him feel again.

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We have seen some interesting prosthetic hands in the past, where they are all definitely able to do their bit to make our lives easier – especially for those who have already lost their limbs in some way or another, but much work and research can still be made to improve the prosthetic hand. This time around, researchers from the University of Chicago have come up with an interesting prosthetic hand that when fitted on a monkey, it will provide an artificial sense of touch after pairing it up with brain stimulation. In a nutshell, the scientists successfully replicated the sensations of pressure as the prosthetic hand grabbed an object by sending electrical signals to different parts of the brain.

For those who want to find out more about how this particular technology would be able to work, the University of Chicago researchers have already published a paper that talks about stimulating a prosthetic limb wearer’s brain with electrical signals in detail, where that would be able to replicate feelings of touch. Theoretically speaking, since it worked with monkeys, it should also work just fine on humans, although there are still plenty of kinks and issues left to be ironed out before something like this can be commercially available and ready.

Prosthetic Hand Gives Monkey Artificial Sense Of Touch original content from Ubergizmo.

Scientists have toyed with printing ear implants for ages, but they’ve usually been more cosmetic than functional. Princeton has just developed a bionic ear that could transcend those mere replacements to offer a full-on upgrade. Rather than seed hydrogel with cells and call it a day, the researchers 3D printed a blend of calf cells, hydrogel and an integrated, coiled antenna made from silver nanoparticles. The frankly spooky project doesn’t resemble a natural ear all that closely, but it merges organic and synthetic more gracefully than inserting a chip into an existing implant. It can also expand hearing beyond normal human levels: the experimental version picks up radio waves, for example. Although the ear is just the first step on a long path toward natural-feeling bionics, it already has us wondering if we’ll be actively seeking out replacement body parts in the future… not that we’re about to go all Van Gogh to get them.

Filed under: Wearables, Science, Alt

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Via: Phys.org

Source: Nano Letters

Those wearing bionic hands and similar prostheses often suffer a frustrating disconnect when they can touch an object but can’t feel it, even if they’re using direct neural control. The École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne and allies in Project TIME have developed a hand that could clear that psychological hurdle. The design implants electrodes directly in key nerves that not only allow motor input, but deliver real sensory feedback from the artificial appendage — including needle pokes, much to the test subject’s chagrin. An early trial (seen above) kept the enhanced hand separate from the wearer and was limited to two sensations at once, but an upcoming trial will graft the hand on to a tester’s arm for a month, with sensations coming from across much of the simulated hand. EPFL hopes to have a fully workable unit ready to test in two years’ time, which likely can’t come soon enough for amputees wanting more authentic physical contact.

Filed under: Science

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Source: Project TIME, The Independent

All right, so the bionic man that will be featured on a Channel 4 documentary that is titled, “How to Build a Bionic Man” might not be worth all of six million dollars, but it will show off the latest in the realm of artificial limbs, organs, and yes, even artificial blood by building a 6-foot tall android. The program is hosted by Dr. Bertolt Meyer, a social psychologist from Switzerland, who currently sports an iLimb Ultra as he was born sans a left arm. This prosthetic hand from Touch Bionics costs around $48,000, just in case you were wondering.

The eye of the bionic man will hail from the University of California in the form of a pair of glasses that are camera-equipped, sending images to a microchip that is inserted directly onto the retina. As for its aural capabilities, Macquarie University in Sydney would be the ones supplying the cochlear implant. SynCardia of Arizona will offer their battery-powered artificial heart, while other parts such as its pancreas, kidney and legs, too, will be sourced from different manufacturers located around the world. The finished article is far from polished, and it does seem that a Data-like droid is still a far away dream.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Disabled Cat Gets Wheelie Legs From Student Robot Club , FDA Approves Robot Doctor,