A project in the United Kingdom developing tailored neurosignals for prosthetic arms to improve the sense of touch will share in an £80 million (about $102 million USD) investment from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
Ben Ward-Cherrier, PhD, University of Bristol Faculty of Science and Engineering, is leading the project to advance prosthetic arms by providing feedback on the texture and slipperiness of things that users touch. Ward-Cherrier will develop a proof-of-concept system, which could also benefit robotics and teleoperation.
“Restoring a natural sense of touch to upper-limb amputees relies on a comprehensive understanding of how tactile signals are encoded in our nervous system. This project will be a hugely important step in decoding these tactile signals and demonstrating a proof-of-principle system connecting tactile sensors to individual sensory neurons,” Ward-Cherrier said.
Science Minister Lord Patrick Vallance said, “We are backing 100 ambitious projects up and down the UK, which could spark the beginning of a new generation of life-changing developments, from more comfortable and effective prosthetic arms to earlier detection and prevention of blood clots. It is vital we support bright researchers to explore a new generation of discoveries.”
“Discovery science is the bedrock of innovation, feeding the pipeline of progress critical to prosperity, sustainability, security, competitiveness, quality of life, and resilience to future challenges,” said Professor Charlotte Deane, EPSRC’s executive chair.
Editor’s note: This story was adapted from materials provided by the University of Bristol.
