Robotic Hand Learns Fine Movements from Monkeys
From: Medical Design Technology - 01/22/2015

Neuroscientists at the German Primate Center can predict grip movements of
the hand by measuring brain cell activity

Tying shoelaces, stirring coffee, writing letters, playing the piano.  From
the usual daily routine to demanding activities: Our hands are used more
frequently than any other body part. Through our highly developed fine motor
skills, we are able to perform grasping movements with variable precision and
power distribution. This ability is a fundamental characteristic of the hand
of primates. Until now, it was unclear how hand movements are planned in the
brain. The most recent research project of Stefan Schaffelhofer, Andres
Agudelo-Toro and Hansjorg Scherberger from the German Primate Center has
shown how different grasping movements in the brain are controlled in rhesus
monkeys. Using electrophysiological measurements in those areas of the brain
that are responsible for the planning and execution of hand movements, the
scientists could predict a variety of hand positions through the analysis of
exact neural signals. In initial experiments, the application of decrypted
grip types was transferred to a robot hand. The results of the study will be
incorporated in the future development of neuroprostheses, which will be used
to enable paralyzed patients the recovery of hand functions (The Journal of
Neuroscience, 2015).

The decrypted hand configurations were subsequently successfully transferred
to a robotic hand. With this, the scientists have shown that a large number
of different hand configurations can be decoded and used from neuronal
planning and execution signals. A finding, that is of great importance for
the future of especially paraplegic patients where the connection between the
brain and limbs no longer functions.

Read the entire article at:
http://www.mdtmag.com/news/2015/01/robotic-hand-learns-fine-movements-monkeys