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Related Concept Videos

Somatic Spinal Reflexes01:22

Somatic Spinal Reflexes

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Somatic spinal reflexes are rapid, involuntary muscular responses to external stimuli that involve the somatic musculature and the spinal cord.
One of the most well-known somatic spinal reflexes is the stretch reflex, which is activated by the sudden stretching of a muscle. This reflex involves the activation of specialized sensory receptors called muscle spindles, which are located in the muscle tissue and detect changes in the length and speed of muscle contractions. When a muscle is suddenly...
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A reflex activity is an automatic, involuntary response to specific stimuli. It is a part of our survival mechanism, designed to protect us from potential harm. For example, when a bright light suddenly shines into our eyes, we instinctively close them or look away. This is a simple reflex activity orchestrated by the nervous system without conscious thought or effort.
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Overview of Somatic Sensory Pathways01:29

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Somatic sensory or somatosensory pathways refer to the neural pathways that carry information related to touch, pressure, pain, temperature, and proprioception from the skin, muscles, tendons, and joints to the brain. These pathways involve several stages of processing and integration of sensory information.
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The spinal cord is an integral hub for motor and sensory information that enables the brain to communicate with the peripheral nervous system (PNS). This communication consists of relaying sensory data and transmission of motor commands.
Sensory Information Processing
Sensory information processing begins at the sensory receptors located in the skin and other tissues, which detect somatic sensory stimuli such as touch, temperature, or pain. These receptors function as catalysts, initiating...
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Major Somatic Sensory Pathways01:28

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Sensory impulses related to touch, pressure, vibration, and proprioception from various body parts, such as the limbs, trunk, neck, and posterior head, travel to the cerebral cortex through the posterior column-medial lemniscus pathway. The pathway’s name derives from the two white-matter tracts that convey the impulses: the spinal cord's posterior column and the brainstem's medial lemniscus. First-order sensory neurons extend their axons into the spinal cord, forming the...
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Somatosensation01:33

Somatosensation

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The somatosensory system relays sensory information from the skin, mucous membranes, limbs, and joints. Somatosensation is more familiarly known as the sense of touch. A typical somatosensory pathway includes three types of long neurons: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary neurons have cell bodies located near the spinal cord in groups of neurons called dorsal root ganglia. The sensory neurons of ganglia innervate designated areas of skin called dermatomes.
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Membrane Potentials, Synaptic Responses, Neuronal Circuitry, Neuromodulation and Muscle Histology Using the Crayfish: Student Laboratory Exercises
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An Artificial Somatic Reflex Arc.

Ke He1, Yaqing Liu1, Ming Wang1

  • 1Innovative Centre for Flexible Devices (iFLEX), Max Planck-NTU Joint Lab for Artificial Senses, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore.

Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|December 6, 2019
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers developed an artificial reflex arc system for soft robotics. This bioinspired system mimics human reflexes, enabling robots to react to touch without central processing, simplifying complex designs.

Keywords:
all-or-none responseartificial reflex arcelectrochemical actuatorspressure sensorsresistive switching devices

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Area of Science:

  • Bioinspired Robotics
  • Neuroprosthetics
  • Human-Machine Interfaces

Background:

  • Reflex actions are crucial for survival in humans and animals, enabling rapid responses to environmental stimuli without direct brain involvement.
  • Artificial reflex arc systems offer a simplified approach to complex robotic control, moving beyond solely central-processing designs.
  • Developing bioinspired systems is key for advancements in intelligent robotics, prosthetics, and human-machine interaction.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To design and implement an artificial somatic reflex arc system.
  • To demonstrate a simplified electronic component for intelligent soft robotics.
  • To emulate human reflex mechanisms for robotic applications.

Main Methods:

  • An artificial somatic reflex arc was engineered to actuate electrochemical actuators.
  • A metal-organic-framework-based threshold controlling unit (TCU) was utilized.
  • The system was triggered by tactile pressure exceeding a predefined stimulus threshold, mimicking the all-or-none principle.

Main Results:

  • The artificial reflex arc successfully enabled electrochemical actuator response to tactile pressure.
  • The metal-organic-framework-based TCU effectively controlled the system's activation based on pressure thresholds.
  • Integration into a robot demonstrated a mimicry of the infant grasp reflex.

Conclusions:

  • The artificial somatic reflex arc provides a novel and simplified strategy for intelligent soft robotics.
  • This approach facilitates the development of next-generation human-machine interfaces and neuroprosthetics.
  • The bioinspired system offers a pathway to more responsive and adaptive robotic systems.