Geoffrey Ingersoll
Business Insider
May 31, 2013

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has a couple new videos out which show some of the most advanced user control over the movement of prosthetic limbs.

The agency calls it Reliable Neural Interface Technology, and it’s even restored an element of ‘feeling’ to the artificial limb.

From Darpa:

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University used a flat interface nerve electrode (FINE) to demonstrate direct sensory feedback. By interfacing with residual nerves in the patient’s partial limb, some sense of touch by the fingers is restored.

Basically, by splicing ultra-tiny, ultra-sensitive electrodes with remaining nerve tissue in the head, neck, and shoulder, Darpa is slowly restoring not only control over robotic limbs, but feeling.

Now the technology still isn’t exactly like an actual limb, but they’re taking some pretty huge steps here.

The outlook for amputee combat veterans — 2,000 in America alone have lost limbs — seems to be getting better by the day.

R