Specialists from the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne created a light exoskeleton of the hand, which can be controlled by the power of thought. According to the developers, in the future such a device will help people with disabilities in their daily lives.
The advantage of the new exoskeleton is its ease of attachment. It is easily attached to the hand with Velcro. Metal cables in it function as tendons, located on the back of the fingers. This design leaves the palm free.
On the man’s chest is fastened a knapsack with the motors, which pull the cables. Exoskeleton works with different types of interfaces. You can use a special EEG-cap, which is put on the head, or a system that follows the eyes of the user.
In the first case, the system monitors the activity of the motor region of the cerebral cortex without using implantable electrodes.
The exoskeleton of the hand has recently been tested in patients who have recently suffered a stroke and who have spinal cord injuries. The next step will be the creation of an improved exoskeleton that can help people with disabilities to solve everyday tasks at home. In addition, experts believe that people can use the new device for medical rehabilitation.
