Study participants successfully grasped and transported two objects at once without dropping them. Prosthetic hands have long struggled to replicate the dexterity and functionality of natural hands, often limiting users to a single grasp function at a time. This limitation has made everyday tasks, such as typing on a keyboard or braiding hair, challenging for those who rely on prosthetics. However, a groundbreaking study from Florida Atlantic University (FAU) offers promising advancements that could transform the experience of prosthetic hand users. Researchers at FAU's College of Engineering and Computer Science, in collaboration with the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, conducted an innovative study that combined haptic feedback, electromyogram control and a wearable soft robotic armband.

A new breakthrough could prove a game changer for users of prosthetic hands by enabling new levels of dexterity. With current myoelectric prosthetic hands, users can only control one grasp function at a time even though modern artificial hands are mechanically capable of individual control of all five digits. A first-of-its-kind study has used haptic/touch sensation feedback, electromyogram (EMG) control and an innovative wearable soft robotic armband. Researchers from Florida Atlantic University's College of Engineering and Computer Science in collaboration with FAU's Charles E. Schmidt College of Science investigated whether people could precisely control the grip forces applied to two different objects grasped simultaneously with a dexterous artificial hand. They also explored the role that visual feedback played in this complex multitasking model by systematically blocking visual and haptic feedback in the experimental design.

A first-of-its-kind study using haptic/touch sensation feedback, electromyogram (EMG) control and an innovative wearable soft robotic armband could just be a game changer for users of prosthetic hands who have long awaited advances in dexterity. Findings from the study could catalyze a paradigm shift in the way current and future artificial hands are controlled by limb-absent people. Researchers from Florida Atlantic University's College of Engineering and Computer Science in collaboration with FAU's Charles E. Schmidt College of Science investigated whether people could precisely control the grip forces applied to two different objects grasped simultaneously with a dexterous artificial hand. For the study, they also explored the role that visual feedback played in this complex multitasking model by systematically blocking visual and haptic feedback in the experimental design. In addition, they studied the potential for time saving in a simultaneous object transportation experiment compared to a one-at-a-time approach.