What's New
The prosthesis is able to replicate the key biological properties of the human hand: natural synergistic and adaptable movement; biomimetic levels of force and speed; high anthropomorphism and grasp robustness. After a training period of less than one week, patients could autonomously use Hannes domestically to perform activities of daily living. Credit: IIT-INAIL
In the current issue of Science Robotics, researchers from Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT- Italian Institute of Technology) and Centro Protesi INAIL in Italy reported on their ability to replicate the key biological properties of the human hand: natural synergistic and adaptable movement, biomimetic levels of force and speed, high anthropomorphism and grasp robustness.
Developed by a collaborative of researchers, orthopaedists, industrial designers and patients, the prostetic hand called Hannes is able to restore over 90% of functionality to people with upper-limb amputations.
Hannes is an anthropomorphic, poly-articulated upper limb prosthetic system including hand and wrist, whose main characteristics are softness and the ability to dynamically adapt to the shape of objects to grasp.
It is uniquely similar to a human hand, and being developed directly with patients, has immediate practical use.
To evaluate the effectiveness and usability of Hannes, pilot trials on amputees were performed at Centro Protesi Inail, and the researchers found that after a training period of less than one week, patients could autonomously use Hannes to perform activities of daily living.
The robotic hand Hannes is developed in Italy at Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia and Centro Protesi INAIL. Hannes is able to replicate the key biological properties of the human hand and is able to restore over 90% of functionality to people with upper-limb amputations. Credit: IIT-INAIL
The prosthesis is a myoelectric system that can be worn all day, and is adjustable to a variety of upper limb impairments.
An array of surface electromyographic sensors placed within a custom socket detects the activity of the residual limb muscles in the lower or higher part of the arm, which are actively contracted by the user to perform multiple movements.
Moreover, through specially developed software and a Bluetooth connection, it is possible to customize the operating parameters of the hand, such as the precision and speed of movements, to ensure the most optimized experience for each user.
Read more
Silicon chip (approx. 3 mm x 6 mm) with multiple detectors. The fine black engravings on the surface of the chip are the photonics circuits interconnecting the detectors (not visible with bare eyes). In the background a larger scale photonics circuit on a silicon wafer.
Image: Helmholtz Zentrum München / Roman Shnaiderman
Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and Helmholtz Zentrum München have developed the world’s smallest ultrasound detector.
It is based on miniaturized photonic circuits on top of a silicon chip.
With a size 100 times smaller than an average human hair, the new detector can visualize features that are much smaller than previously possible, leading to what is known as super-resolution imaging.
Since the development of medical ultrasound imaging in the 1950s, the core detection technology of ultrasound waves has primarily focused on using piezoelectric detectors, which convert the pressure from ultrasound waves into electric voltage.
The imaging resolution achieved with ultrasound depends on the size of the piezoelectric detector employed. Reducing this size leads to higher resolution and can offer smaller, densely packed one or two dimensional ultrasound arrays with improved ability to discriminate features in the imaged tissue or material.
However, further reducing the size of piezoelectric detectors impairs their sensitivity dramatically, making them unusable for practical application.