Manual behavior: in the Russian Federation created a bracelet to control bionic prostheses

The first domestic multichannel device for bionic prostheses has been tested in the Russian Federation. This is a bracelet made of a set of sensors, which makes it easier to control the movements of bioprosthetic hands and significantly reduces the time spent on the transition from one gesture to another. The development can be used not only for people with disabilities, the sensor interface is applicable when piloting drones and robots, as well as when working with toxic substances dangerous to humans. Read more about the innovation - in the material "Izvestia".

Bracelet for controlling prosthetic limbs

Russian specialists have completed testing of a multi-channel device for bionic prostheses. This is an external control system, made in the form of a bracelet, allowing not only to control the bioprosthesis of the hand, but also to do it from a distance. This "Izvestia" was reported in the Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovative Development of Moscow.

Already in February, the developer's company will employ the first employees with musculoskeletal system injuries, who will use the new system, which has no analogues in our country.

Photo: Press service of the Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovative Development of the City of Moscow

The device is a bracelet consisting of eight electromyography sensors, a flicker sensor and a central microcontroller. The bracelet allows to make the control of the prosthesis easier than before.

- Most of the control systems on the market are two-channel systems," Stepan Chuikin, General Director of Sutura Medtechnologies LLC, told Izvestia. - Therefore, the transition from one gesture to another takes a very long way - a person needs to perform several actions up to pressing a button on the prosthesis. And our system is multichannel. So the movements are done in one step and take less time.

In addition, the device allows a person to perform a number of functions without using the prosthesis at all.

Photo: Izvestia/Eduard Kornienko

- At home, a person leaves the prosthesis on the charger and uses only the stump. But it is not very convenient to work on the computer with the stump. We propose to use the stump itself as a mouse with a bracelet on it. By moving the limb in space, you can move the cursor on the computer screen," he added.

What prosthetic limbs will be in the future

As the developers believe, these capabilities make the development promising for a wide range of industries. In addition to helping people with musculoskeletal disorders, the sensor's myographic interface could be used in piloting drones and robots, as well as in working with toxic substances dangerous to humans.

- The field of prosthetics, especially high-tech prosthetics, is currently both important and promising, including due to the increasing number of people in need of prosthetics, often young and active, who want to maximize the restoration of lost functions, - said Irina Skibina, head of the ANO "Opportunity Technologies", an expert of the NTI market "Neuronet".

Photo: Press service of the Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovative Development of the City of Moscow

The described technology has several promising aspects and advantages over existing projects on the market, said Vladimir Ermishin, head of the laboratory of bionic exoprostheses of upper and lower limbs with neural control of the Center for STI "Bionic Engineering in Medicine" of SamSMU. Among the advantages he mentioned multichannel control, which allows using the prosthesis more efficiently and quickly than with two-channel systems. This significantly reduces the time spent on the transition from one gesture to another, which makes the prosthesis control more simple and convenient.

- The device makes it possible to perform a number of functions without using the prosthesis, such as operating a computer using the residual limb with the wristband as a mouse. This broadens the use of the technology and makes it more versatile. In addition to helping people with amputation defects, the myographic sensor interface used in the development could find applications in a variety of industries," the expert said.

In general, the technology provides people with amputation defects with new opportunities, but the prospects can be discussed after the device is released on the market, the experts said.