According to Saad News: The use of robotic prosthetic limbs has largely been accepted by the world of science, but amputees face drawbacks such as neurological mismatches, complex and frequent maintenance, noisy activation, and unreliable control systems of these robots.
According to the Science and Technology Service of Saad News, quoted from Hamshahri Online, a more important point is the unfamiliarity of robotic body parts with the human nervous system, which causes weak signal reception and processing. Challenges such as optimizing energy efficiency and battery life, customizing prosthetics for maximum comfort, adapting devices for effective performance on uneven terrain, and sensory feedback like the sense of touch are also among the issues that researchers are working to address.
What is a robotic limb?
Prosthetic limbs are devices or bioengineered tissues designed to replace, replicate, or enhance natural limbs and integrate with the human body. Among them, orthopedic prosthetics are medical devices designed to replace lost or damaged bones and joints. Over the years, advances in materials science and medical technology have led to the development of more complex and functional orthopedic prosthetics. However, the use of these limbs sometimes brings challenges.
The Challenging Hand
The human hand is one of the most complex parts of the body, containing over 30 muscles, 27 joints, a network of ligaments and tendons, and over 17,000 touch receptors and nerve endings in the palm. These features allow the hand to perform a wide range of complex tasks through a variety of movements. However, a prosthetic hand only has one joint at the elbow and a static mass at the tip. Each time a movement occurs, the robotic hand learns to recognize patterns.
Even picking something up or performing basic tasks like writing requires seamless integration between the body and the brain. With this level of complexity, it’s no surprise that efforts to replicate robotic adaptability and the dexterity of the human hand have failed to meet expectations, despite the determination of medical professionals and engineers. From the iron hand of a German knight in the 16th century to the world’s first robotic hand with sensory feedback, none have come close to matching the natural abilities of the human hand.
Unfamiliarity with the Body’s Nervous System
A major challenge in developing the next generation of orthopedic prosthetics is improving their integration with bones, natural tissues, and the body’s nervous system. This is crucial for ensuring the long-term stability of the prosthetic, maximizing its performance, and restoring mobility to the patient. However, in some cases, this neural coordination and timely signal transmission to the brain does not go as planned. For instance, modern robotic prosthetic legs come equipped with sensors, actuators, microprocessors, and power sources.
Standing, walking, climbing stairs, and navigating slopes or uneven terrains, especially transitioning between these movements, have been challenging for robots. The issue with robotic prosthetic legs in performing these movements is that they are not connected to the user’s central nervous system and, therefore, lack coordination. Nevertheless, research teams continue to strive to improve robotic prosthetic limbs and replicate natural human movements.
