‘Wearable robot’ arm improves performance of brain-controlled device

The performance of a brain-machine interface designed to help paralyzed subjects move objects with their thoughts is improved with the addition of a robotic arm that provides sensory feedback, a new study from the University of Chicago finds.

Devices that translate brain activity into the movement of a computer cursor or an external robotic arm have already proven successful in humans. But in these early systems, vision was the only tool a subject could use to help control the motion.

Adding a robot arm that provided kinesthetic information about movement and position in space improved the performance of monkeys using a brain-machine interface in a study published today in The Journal of Neuroscience. Incorporating this sense may improve the design of “wearable robots” to help patients with spinal cord injuries, researchers said.

Aided by a robotic exoskeleton, a monkey can hit the target faster and more directly 

(Hatsopoulos, et al. The Journal of Neuroscience)

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