by A study published in Science Robotics has revealed exciting advancements in the field of neuroengineering. Silvestro Micera, a neuroengineer, and his team have developed a technological solution that allows individuals to regain sensory and motor functions that have been lost due to traumatic events or neurological disorders. This study goes a step further and explores the possibilities of enhancing the human body and cognition with the help of technology.
The study, part of the Third-Arm project, focuses on the successful control of an additional arm through monitoring diaphragm movement. This essentially means that a healthy individual can be augmented with a third arm, which is robotic in nature. The results of this study indicate that extra arms can be controlled extensively, and simultaneous control with both natural arms is also possible. This opens up new possibilities and opportunities for the use of wearable robotic arms in daily tasks and search and rescue operations.
Micera believes that exploring the cognitive limitations of controlling a third arm can provide valuable insights into understanding the human brain. By challenging the brain to coordinate a new limb, researchers can determine if the brain has the capacity to adapt and learn new motor functions. This knowledge can then be applied to the development of assistive devices for people with disabilities or rehabilitation protocols for stroke patients.
To understand the cognitive constraints of augmentation, the researchers first created a virtual environment in which a healthy individual could control a virtual arm using diaphragm movement. The study found that diaphragm control did not interfere with other actions, such as controlling one’s physiological arms, speech, or gaze.
In the virtual reality setup, the user wears a belt that measures diaphragm movement and a virtual reality headset. The user sees three arms: the right arm and hand, the left arm and hand, and a third arm between the two with a symmetric six-fingered hand. The user is then prompted to reach out with either the left hand, right hand, or the symmetric hand in the middle. In the real environment, the user holds onto an exoskeleton with both arms, allowing for control of the virtual left and right arms. The movement detected by the diaphragm belt is used to control the virtual middle arm. This setup was tested on 61 healthy subjects over 150 sessions.
According to Giulia Dominijanni, a Ph.D. student at EPFL’s Neuro-X Institute, diaphragm control of the third arm is intuitive, and participants quickly learn to control the extra limb. Furthermore, the control strategy is independent of the biological limbs, and diaphragm control does not affect the user’s ability to speak coherently.
The researchers also successfully tested diaphragm control with an actual robotic arm, using a simplified rod-like structure. When the user contracts the diaphragm, the rod extends out. This experiment involved the user reaching and hovering over target circles with their left or right hand, or with the robotic rod.
Additionally, the researchers tested the feasibility of using vestigial ear muscles for new tasks. In this approach, users were equipped with ear sensors and trained to use fine movements of the ear muscles to control the movement of a computer mouse. This alternative control strategy could potentially be used to control an extra limb, and may have implications for the development of rehabilitation protocols for people with motor deficiencies.
While previous studies on the control of robotic arms have focused on helping amputees, this study represents a step towards augmenting the human body. Micera and his team plan to explore the use of more complex robotic devices and various control strategies to perform real-life tasks in and outside of the laboratory. This will allow them to fully understand the potential of this approach.
The development of wearable robotic arms that can enhance the human body and cognition opens up a range of possibilities for individuals with disabilities or those in need of rehabilitation. By pushing the boundaries of what the human brain is capable of, researchers hope to create innovative solutions that can improve the quality of life for many people.
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1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it
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