Draper engineers are rapidly moving toward realizing
the technology that can provide a natural sense of feeling and
proprioception—the ability to process and integrate limb orientation
information—to patients who have lost a limb. The implantable device can
ultimately allow those with a prosthetic limb a much more intuitive,
controlled user experience with their prosthetic and an improved
interaction with the world around them.
This research is funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects
Agency’s (DARPA) Hand Proprioception and Touch Interfaces (HAPTIX)
program. The University of Texas Southwestern (UTSW) conducted
successful testing, on behalf of Draper, of the novel electrode
component in animal studies. Next, they will be tested in humans as
early as the fall of 2016 as part of a follow-on Phase II contract DARPA
awarded Draper in April.
The electrodes of Draper’s HAPTIX system deliver electrical signals
to nerves in the forearm, much the same way the human nervous system
does, creating an artificial sensory feedback. Draper’s approach is
unique in that the electrodes wrap around as well as directly interact
with the nerves, thus allowing for more precise stimulation and a more
real sense of touch for amputees. “Draper makes inherently safe systems
that work, whether we’re designing an active implantable medical device
or a fault-tolerant computer system for space missions,” said Dr. Philip
Parks, Draper’s HAPTIX program manager.
Full story is available from Draper website.
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