Grasping Embodiment: Haptic Feedback for Artificial Limbs

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Neuroscience
• Rehabilitation Science

Background:

• Upper-limb prostheses face high abandonment rates, often due to a diminished sense of embodiment.
• Embodiment, encompassing self-location, agency, and ownership, is crucial for prosthesis integration and utility.
• Current prostheses primarily rely on visual feedback, neglecting critical haptic information for daily activities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of converting natural haptic feedback to vibrotactile feedback on prosthesis embodiment.
• To explore whether vibrotactile feedback can enhance or maintain the user's sense of embodiment.
• To assess the feasibility of using proximal vibrotactile feedback in upper-limb prosthesis design.

Main Methods:

• Participants received haptic feedback from prosthetic fingertips converted into vibrotactile sensations delivered to another body location.
• Experimental manipulations compared different types of feedback delivery.
• User embodiment was assessed through standardized measures before and after feedback intervention.

Main Results:

• No significant differences were found between experimental feedback type manipulations.
• Crucially, switching from natural haptic feedback to proximal vibrotactile feedback did not negatively affect embodiment.
• Evidence suggests vibrotactile feedback can be a viable alternative for conveying sensory information.

Conclusions:

• Proximal vibrotactile feedback is a promising sensory substitution strategy for upper-limb prostheses.
• This feedback modality warrants further investigation and consideration in the design of more integrated and accepted prosthetic devices.
• Improving haptic feedback may reduce prosthesis abandonment by enhancing user embodiment.