Researcher Anna María Coclite, an expert from the Department of Physics at the University of Bari, a city in the southern region of Apulia, said in statements published on the digital site of the publication Fanpage, that the objective is to build prostheses similar to a human limb, with wearable sensors that restore touch.
“Whoever has one of these prostheses will be able to feel what they touch,” said Coclite, since the tactile sensation is restored through small electrical stimuli, a project started in 2016, in which the Interuniversity Department of Physics of the Aldo Moro University works together. and the Polytechnic of Bari.
“Neuroprostheses already exist, but it is impossible for the wearer to feel heat, cold, humidity, dryness or roughness” and “at the moment patients can move the prosthesis but they do not feel any difference if they hold a hot cup of tea or a drink.” cold in their hands,” said the expert.
The new neuroprostheses can connect to the nervous system and therefore act on the spinal cord through electrical stimulation, and by covering them with sensors, tactile sensation can be restored, although this is only one of the possible applications that this type of research could have, he explained.
As other possibilities, this technology will make it possible to monitor sports activities by providing information on hydration, heart rate or temperature changes in athletes.
They are made of two materials, one that changes shape depending on humidity and temperature and another that produces an electric current when it is deformed due to pressure, and by combining both it is possible to detect the three stimuli at the same time, a simplification that allows miniaturization the device.
“We already have portable sensors, and it is time to find an application for them with a prototype that works in its specific environment,” said the specialist, who considered that there is still a lot of work to do to optimize them, extend the useful life of them and their data transmission system, adds the source.
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