Final Report Summary - SMARTHAND (The smart Bio-adaptive Hand prosthesis)
SMARTHAND was a highly innovative, interdisciplinary project, combining forefront research from material sciences, bio- and information technologies with cognitive neuroscience to solve a major societal problem; namely, the development of an artificial hand displaying all the basic features of a real human hand. The successful realisation of this highly visionary project required crossing the boundaries of distinct scientific fields, merging forefront expertise of the consortium combines and use of state-of-the-art research results from relevant fields, to improve quality of life for disabilities by improving mobility and diminishing phantom pains associated with amputees.
the SMARTHAND prosthesis could have major impacts on rehabilitation of amputates. People that have lived through a traumatic amputation often encounter severe depressions as a result of a distorted self-image and fear for social rejection. Further is it also common with phantom pains, forcing the amputee taking heavy painkillers and thus complicating a comeback to the labour market. However, it has been shown that electric stimulation of the nerves has a positive and pain killing effect. We believed that a neural interface with recording and stimulating capability could significantly improving quality of life by relieving the phantom pains. Furthermore, the functional artificial hand could help to restore self-image and social acceptance by the user. An artificial hand or the robotic hand that restores functionality could be of great importance for rehabilitating disabled amputees back to work.
The SMARTHAND smart bio-adaptive hand prosthesis does more than just replicate the physical functionality of a real human hand. The SMARTHAND also uses a unique technology to provide the user with a measure of sensation when using the SMARTHAND. The robotic hand has forty sensors that are activated when pressed on by an object. These sensors are connected to the patients' remaining nerves in the upper arm; the stimulus can be interpreted by the brain as coming from the SMARTHAND.
Extensive studies were done on six non-amputees and five amputees investigating sensibility substitution in functional prosthesis, body ownership of the artificial hand and motor control of the SMARTHAND early prototype. The study was a joint effort and external partner supported some of the studies. The external partners were the Red Cross Hospital in Stockholm and the Orthopaedic Department at Lund University hospital. Further subjects were studied in task 'Cortical integration of the artificial hand'. Activation of somatosensory cortex has been investigated in 6 amputees and 15 non amputees have been investigated, subjected to fMRI-investigation.
Robin af Ekenstam, an amputee from Sweden, was astounded by the result. An aggressive tumour discovered on his right wrist forced Mr af Ekenstam to amputate his limb in order to save his life and stop the cancer from spreading to the rest of his body. He currently wears an electronic hook, but the problem with this device is that he cannot feel what the hook does and handling is at a minimum.
'I am using muscles which I haven't used for years,' television news channel euronews quoted Mr af Ekenstam, the first amputee to try the hand, as saying. 'That is very hard. But if you are able to control a movement, it is great. It is a feeling that I have not had for a long time. And now I am also getting the sensation back from small motors, which put pressure on certain spots on my hand,' he said. 'When I grab something hard, then I can feel it in the fingertips, which is strange, as I don't have them anymore. It's amazing.'
The organisation of control of grasping of various objects has been studied with healthy individuals in conditions where the visual input was modified. A system utilising this was developed and thus the type of grasp was deseeded with the help of the video camera and laser pointer, while timing of the grasps opening and closing was done by using muscle signals.
Finally the SMARTHAND prosthesis systems where investigated and evaluated in different tests involving both amputees and non amputees. The different parts developed in SMARTHAND was integrated and tested together. The final SMARTHAND prosthesis was evaluated using eight amputees and the outcome was very positive.
the SMARTHAND prosthesis could have major impacts on rehabilitation of amputates. People that have lived through a traumatic amputation often encounter severe depressions as a result of a distorted self-image and fear for social rejection. Further is it also common with phantom pains, forcing the amputee taking heavy painkillers and thus complicating a comeback to the labour market. However, it has been shown that electric stimulation of the nerves has a positive and pain killing effect. We believed that a neural interface with recording and stimulating capability could significantly improving quality of life by relieving the phantom pains. Furthermore, the functional artificial hand could help to restore self-image and social acceptance by the user. An artificial hand or the robotic hand that restores functionality could be of great importance for rehabilitating disabled amputees back to work.
The SMARTHAND smart bio-adaptive hand prosthesis does more than just replicate the physical functionality of a real human hand. The SMARTHAND also uses a unique technology to provide the user with a measure of sensation when using the SMARTHAND. The robotic hand has forty sensors that are activated when pressed on by an object. These sensors are connected to the patients' remaining nerves in the upper arm; the stimulus can be interpreted by the brain as coming from the SMARTHAND.
Extensive studies were done on six non-amputees and five amputees investigating sensibility substitution in functional prosthesis, body ownership of the artificial hand and motor control of the SMARTHAND early prototype. The study was a joint effort and external partner supported some of the studies. The external partners were the Red Cross Hospital in Stockholm and the Orthopaedic Department at Lund University hospital. Further subjects were studied in task 'Cortical integration of the artificial hand'. Activation of somatosensory cortex has been investigated in 6 amputees and 15 non amputees have been investigated, subjected to fMRI-investigation.
Robin af Ekenstam, an amputee from Sweden, was astounded by the result. An aggressive tumour discovered on his right wrist forced Mr af Ekenstam to amputate his limb in order to save his life and stop the cancer from spreading to the rest of his body. He currently wears an electronic hook, but the problem with this device is that he cannot feel what the hook does and handling is at a minimum.
'I am using muscles which I haven't used for years,' television news channel euronews quoted Mr af Ekenstam, the first amputee to try the hand, as saying. 'That is very hard. But if you are able to control a movement, it is great. It is a feeling that I have not had for a long time. And now I am also getting the sensation back from small motors, which put pressure on certain spots on my hand,' he said. 'When I grab something hard, then I can feel it in the fingertips, which is strange, as I don't have them anymore. It's amazing.'
The organisation of control of grasping of various objects has been studied with healthy individuals in conditions where the visual input was modified. A system utilising this was developed and thus the type of grasp was deseeded with the help of the video camera and laser pointer, while timing of the grasps opening and closing was done by using muscle signals.
Finally the SMARTHAND prosthesis systems where investigated and evaluated in different tests involving both amputees and non amputees. The different parts developed in SMARTHAND was integrated and tested together. The final SMARTHAND prosthesis was evaluated using eight amputees and the outcome was very positive.
