Prosthetic Limbs of the Future

It is estimated that 2 million Americans lack at least one limb--whether it be due to an amputation or birth defect. With such a large number of people living without the full functionality of their bodies, the advancement of prosthetics has become the goal of countless companies and research clinics.

Prosthetics, or artificial mechanisms which aim to accomplish the task of a lost limb, have the goal of being as similar in function to a natural limb as possible. This is done so that the person using the prosthetic can lead as normal a life as they can given their circumstances. Over the years, researchers all over the world have progressed in designing more and more natural prosthetics: now widely available are prosthetic limbs that can serve the same role as a natural limb, and look very much like the natural limbs.

However, despite the progress we’ve made in making prosthetics seem more natural, we are still very far from designing a prosthetic that functions in a similar way to a natural limb. The problems that exists is making it so that prosthetics can be readily controlled by the brain in the same way that natural limbs can. While such a thing seems impossible, the technology for making it so a prosthetic can be controlled by the brain is not far off. In fact, many companies today have already started experimenting with thought controlled prosthetics. For example, researchers at John Hopkins University have programmed a robotic hand to move based on which parts of the brain light up with electrical signals. This technology could be used to aid people who have lost a hand or an entire arm regain functionality.

By giving people who have lost a limb an opportunity to live a more normal life, prosthetics are becoming a field in which increasing interest resides. While we are still far off from a fully functional prosthetic to replace a natural limb, many projects show promise towards the development of a new line of thought controlled prosthetics.

Work Cited:

http://newatlas.com/mind-controlled-prosthetic-fingers/41886/