Sensory restoration for improved motor control of prostheses

Abstract

Somatosensory neuroprostheses are devices with the potential to restore the senses of touch and movement from prosthetic limbs for people with limb amputation or paralysis. By electrically stimulating the peripheral or central nervous system, these devices evoke sensations that appear to emanate from the missing or insensate limb, and when paired with sensors on the prosthesis, they can improve the functionality and embodiment of the prosthesis. There have been major advances in the design of these systems over the past decade, although several important steps remain before they can achieve widespread clinical adoption outside the lab setting. Here, we provide a brief overview of somatosensory neuroprostheses and explores these hurdles and potential next steps towards clinical translation.