Robotic Hand Passes Test
From: Servo Magazine - 02/2010 - page 8
By: Jeff & Jenn Eckert

Last December, a group of European scientists based at the University Campus
Bio-Medico of Rome announced that they had successfully connected a robotic
hand to a man who had lost an arm in a car accident, allowing him to control
the prosthetic with his thoughts and to actually feel sensations in the
artificial limb. Reportedly, the $3 million LifeHand experiment marked the
first time an amputee has been able to make complex biomechanical movements
using his mind to control a hand connected to the nervous system. 

Reportedly, during the month that 26 year old Pierpaolo Petruzziello was
connected, he learned to wiggle the robotic fingers independently, makea
fist, grab objects, and make other movements. One of the research team's
neurologists revealed, "Some of the gestures cannot be disclosed, because
they were quite vular". We therefore can assume that Mr. Petruzziello either
has a sense of humor or a lack of gratitude. Details have been published in
the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 

Links:
University Campus Bio-Medico - A Challenge: LifeHand
http://www.unicampus.it/lifehand/a-challenge-lifehand

National Academy of Sciences
http://www.nasonline.org

Olympic Games will soon be outdone by Paraolympic Games
http://senses.thirdi.com/tags/lifehand/

EU scientists develop LifeHand thought-controlled prosthesis
http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/03/eu-scientists-develop-lifehand-thought-controlled-prosthesis/

LifeHand restores touch using thought-controlled robotics
http://dvice.com/archives/2009/12/lifehand-restor.php