The science and technology of prosthetic devices has come a long way in the last century or so – at least for those lucky enough to have access to a first-world health environment. Instead of ill-fitting and impractical wooden legs and steel hooks for hands, we now have high-tech limbs fashioned from synthetic materials that […]
The science and technology of prosthetic devices has come a long way in the last century or so – at least for those lucky enough to have access to a first-world health environment.
Instead of ill-fitting and impractical wooden legs and steel hooks for hands, we now have high-tech limbs fashioned from synthetic materials that aim to replicate the flesh and blood counterparts as closely as possible.
Some futuristic devices utilise the wonders of 3D printing to ensure a perfect fit and some can even be controlled by the wearer’s own mind.
So where to next, you ask? The answer is: feedback. Even the most-advanced limbs tell the user very little about the stuff our natural limbs do without having to think about it. Such as telling the brain stuff like: Ouch! that’s hot … or mmmm, that feels smooth.
Enter researchers at Johns Hopkins University, who are developing an electronic dermis.
This artifical skin made our of fabric and rubber, when placed over the prothesis, can allow the wearer to feel important sensations such as pain, warmth, texture and so on.
Which just goes to show, there really is a fine line between prosthetics and pain …
