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Updated: Jul 13, 2026
05:21
Characterization of the Sense of Agency over the Actions of Neural-machine Interface-operated Prostheses
Published on: January 7, 2019
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A sensory-motor hand prosthesis with integrated thermal feedback
Jonathan Muheim1, Francesco Iberite2, Outman Akouissi3
1Bertarelli Foundation Chair in Translational Neural Engineering, Neuro-X Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
Med (New York, N.Y.)
|February 10, 2024
Summary
This study integrates phantom thermal sensations into a robotic prosthetic hand, enabling amputees to feel real-time temperature feedback. This innovation allows for natural temperature discrimination, enhancing prosthetic functionality.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biomedical Engineering
- Robotics
Background:
- Phantom thermal sensations in amputees allow thermal stimulation of residual limbs to evoke sensations in missing hands.
- This study leverages phantom thermal sensations for a novel prosthetic hand system.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and test a standalone system integrated into a robotic prosthetic hand for real-time temperature feedback.
- To evaluate the ability of an amputee to discriminate thermal properties using the sensorized prosthesis.
Main Methods:
- A unilateral transradial amputee used a sensorized prosthesis to manipulate objects and differentiate thermal properties.
- Tasks included discriminating between hot, cold, and ambient temperatures, different materials, and artificial vs. human hands.
- The thermal box and block test (thermal BBT) was introduced to assess real-time temperature discrimination during pick-and-place tasks.
Main Results:
- The subject accurately discriminated between temperatures and materials above chance level, comparable to their intact hand.
- The subject demonstrated high accuracy in the thermal BBT across 15 sessions.
- Phantom thermal sensations remained stable over 13 sessions spanning 400 days.
Conclusions:
- The developed system successfully provides natural temperature feedback through phantom thermal sensations.
- This research advances the development of more natural and sensorially complete hand prostheses.
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