Research team develops the prosthesis of the future, the first in the world with magnetic control

September 11, 2024
2:03 pm

It is the first magnetically controlled prosthetic hand that allows amputees to reproduce all movements simply by thinking and to control the force applied when grasping fragile objects. No wires, no electrical connection, only magnets and muscles to control the movements of the fingers and enable everyday activities such as opening a jar, using a screwdriver, picking up a coin.

A research team from the BioRobotics Institute of the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in Pisa, coordinated by Prof. Christian Cipriani, has developed a radically new interface between the residual arm of the amputee and the robotic hand to decode motor intentions.

The system involves implanting small magnets into the muscles of the forearm. The implant, integrated with the Mia-Hand robotic hand developed by the spin-off Prensilia, was successfully tested on the first patient, a 34-year-old Italian named Daniel, who used the prosthesis for six weeks.

The results of the trial were presented in the journal Science Robotics and represent a significant step forward for the future of prostheses.

“This result rewards a decades-long research path. We have finally developed a functional prosthesis that meets the needs of a person who has lost a hand,” says Christian Cipriani, professor at the BioRobotics Institute of the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna.

Research team develops the prosthesis of the future, the first in the world with magnetic control

Sign up for Blog Updates