Prosthetics were once simple body parts made of wood, plastic or metal alloys, used primarily to cover any disfigurement. Now, thanks to the efforts of countless scientists, they have become functional extensions of the human body.

For decades, prosthetics were rigid devices that offered some level of functionality but very limited control or adaptability. Users experienced restricted control over movement. However, advances in robotics and bioengineering have given rise to modern prostheses that go beyond covering disfigurements and help restore or even improve motor, sensory and neural capabilities.

By integrating advanced sensors and artificial intelligence, these devices now mimic natural limb movements, allowing users to control their medical prosthetics as if they were extensions of their own bodies. These prostheses include sensors, motors and actuators, allowing for more complex and precise control.

A research team from the Institute of BioRobotics, led by Professor Christian Cipriani from the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa, has developed the first magnetically controlled prosthetic hand that allows users to use it as if it were their own hand with just your thoughts as part of the MYKI Project.

This innovation allows an amputee to perform natural movements without relying on electrical cords or connections. Instead, the prosthesis uses myokinetic control. To do this, six magnets are implanted in six key places on the hand. When test patient Daniel, 34, thought about moving his missing hand, the implanted magnets responded to contractions, which, in turn, created signals that dictated action to the robotic limb.

In addition to giving users a sense of control, these advanced prostheses offer sensory sensations that were previously impossible. One of those key technologies is MiniTouch, which can be integrated into different prostheses to give the amputee the feeling of warmth and coolness.

A research team from the same Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne has developed this system that allows users to perceive temperature, which has been proven to be 100% accurate even when Fabrizio, 57 years old test patient, was blindfolded.

Bioelectronic interfaces have also caused a significant leap in modern medical prosthetics. This approach has allowed amputees to connect with their prosthetic device on a deeper level through the person’s own nervous system. This type of interface basically establishes a bidirectional communication between the user’s peripheral nerves and their prosthesis, creating a human-machine symbiosis by allowing sensory feedback and natural proprioception.

While traditional prosthetics rely on sensors and mechanical controllers for any movement, this new interface, through a surgical process called Agonist-Antagonist Myoneural Interface or AMI, reconnects the muscles of the remaining part of the user’s limb and restores their feedback proprioceptive. This ability to detect limb position has resulted in better navigation around obstacles and improved walking speed in the seven patients who underwent the AMI procedure.

These AMI prostheses offer fluid, realistic movements, allowing users to naturally adapt their gait, climb stairs, and tackle varied terrain while neural signals guide each step. This small increase in neural feedback led to normal, realistic walking capabilities, marking a substantial advance in the control and comfort of prostheses.

MIT biophysicist Hugh Herr and his team integrated the bionic leg with a neural interface to give users a sense of identity, offering both emotional and physical benefits. Patients with these neural interfaces that connect their bodies to machines have reported a 41% increase in walking speed and ability to handle obstacles, stairs and slopes.

Non-invasive options are also improving. California-based Atom Limbs has developed a bionic arm powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning that offers human movement and haptic feedback. But unlike other prostheses, in which you have to undergo surgery to interpret neuroelectric signals, this company is promoting a non-invasive way to direct the prosthesis using sports vests and bands connected with different sensors.

Armless since birth, BBC reporter Paul Carter tested this new system and boasted of his ability to control virtual movements, creating the sensation of manipulating a missing limb; something you have never experienced.

This type of innovative leap in prosthetic technology came from the arrival of mind-controlled devices, which leverage brain-computer interface (BCI) technology to interpret neural signals directly from the user’s brain, allowing for more intuitive and fluid control. of artificial limbs. Pioneers such as Elon Musk’s Neuralink and research teams from leading universities are pushing the boundaries of this innovation, improving the responsiveness and adaptability of these prostheses.

As advances in prosthetic technology continue at an unprecedented pace, the line between man and machine becomes increasingly thinner. What was once a simple aid to physical mobility is now a testament to human ingenuity, capable of returning a deep sense of identity to its users.

This symbiosis promises a future where the integration of humans and machines feels as natural as flesh and bones, bringing hope and empowerment to millions of people around the world.