Artificial Intelligence Improves Control of Prosthetic Hands

Scientists from the University of Texas at Dallas announced a groundbreaking new approach for improving control of prosthetics with the use of artificial intelligence (AI) at the 2019 IEEE International Symposium on Measurement and Control in Robotics Symposium this month. The research findings show a huge leap forward in the goal of fully end-to-end optimization of electromyography (EMG) controlled prosthetic hands. There are more than 40 million amputees across the globe, according to the World Health Organization. Recent advances in prosthetic hand and limb technology have greatly improved the quality of life for upper-limb amputees. However, gaps remain in the control of prosthetic hands, specifically in using naturally generated electric signals from the patient's muscles.