A robotic hand fitted to a paralyzed man connected directly to his brain got him back the near-to natural sense of touch.

The study was conducted by the Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University. The robotic hand is a part of a research project into advanced replacement limbs funded by the US military's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

Like Us on Facebook

The subject of the study is a 28-year old man who has been paralyzed for more than 10 years after a spinal cord injury. The subject was fitted with electrodes from the robotic hands connected to his sensory and motor cortexes. He could control his hand with thoughts and senses. He could also feel an almost natural touch.

The Guardian reported that the sensors in the prosthetic hand send electric signals to the brain and the man is able to detect pressure applied to any of the fingers and create electrical signals to mimic touch sensations. The man could determine which finger was touched with nearly 100% accuracy while he was blindfolded.

Thoughts controlled prosthetic limbs are a promising solution to help patients who suffered a spinal cord injury. However, it can be difficult to achieve the level of control required to be able to perform precise movement without feedback from signals traveling back to the brain, according to Justin Sanchez, DARPA program manager. The scientis presented the prosthetic device in an interview for MNT.

The researchers believe that their new technology paves the way for robotic limbs designed to mimic an all natural sense of touch.

Sanchez explained that this work shows potential for seamless biotechnological restoration of near-natural function by connecting a sense of touch from a mechanical hand directly into the brain,

In a report published in The Lancet earlier this year, scientists revealed how mind-controlled prosthetic hands helped three Austrian men with nerve injuries to regain hand function.

TagsRobotic Hand, Prosthetic Hand, Artificial Limbs, Prosthetic Limbs, Mechanical Hand