Electric skin which can feel 'pain' even with artificial hands will be developed

A patient whose elbow to tip is cut often experiences a phenomenon called a phantom limb as if his arm is still there. However, researchers at Johns Hopkins University are engaged in research and development of "electronic skin that can feel pain" in order to create the feeling that "the arms are there" as actual, not vision.

Prosthesis with neuromorphic multilayered e-dermis perceives touch and pain | Science Robotics
http://robotics.sciencemag.org/content/3/19/eaat3818

Bringing a human touch to modern prosthetics | Hub
https://hub.jhu.edu/2018/06/20/e-dermis-prosthetic-sense-of-touch/

You can see what the electronic skin is from the following movie.

Hopkins researcher develops electronic sensory glove for prosthetics - YouTube


"People who are using prosthetic hands from elbows usually want to improve performance and want to be able to" control "with comfort" "At the same time, I am also interested in sensory feedback" Luke Osborn, a medical biotechnologist at Johns Hopkins University who speaks.

A man with an artificial arm.

As you open and close the palm repeatedly, you can see that control of the fingertip is possible.

Osborn et al. Developed this part attached to the fingertips of the prosthetic hand.

Although the artificial hand grasps a round object normally ......

In the case of a sharp object, I released my finger at once.

The object used in the experiment is like this. One side does not feel pain even if it grips with bare hands because the tip is rounded ... ...

Because the tip is sharp on the other side, I feel pain when I hold it with my fingertip. The reason why the prosthesis got off the pointed object in the previous picture is because I could feel the pain firmly with my fingertip. The electronic dermis developed by Osborn et al. Detect the difference in shape and texture of such objects and send signals to the peripheral nervous system.

Mr. Osborn who attaches the device to the head of the mannequin.

If you send the sensation sensed by the fingertip as an electric signal, even a person who loses the arm can regain the sense of the fingertip.

A patient who actually used electronic skin said, "For the first time in a few years, I could feel my" hands "as if empty shellfish got life again." Electronic skin that can be attached to an existing prosthesis should improve the quality of life of the person using the prosthetic hand.

The goal of this research is to be able to capture not only pain but all sensations such as texture and temperature. Osborn said that he continues further research to find out how to do it.