Amputation, muscle weakness, and nerve damage can make it difficult to perform simple daily tasks.
A research team at MIT is developing a minimally invasive technology,
using magnetic beads to track tissue strains in real-time.
This new technology called Magnetomicrometry can provide natural reliable control of prostheses,
exoskeletons, and stimulated muscles. Previous methods of neural interfacing provide a limited
degree of user intent, failing to provide intuitive human-like control. This new
technology tracks pairs of magnetic beads embedded within muscles, using a mobile sensing array,
which allows the nuanced movements of each muscle to be tracked individually
with remarkable speed and accuracy. This tracking information could be transmitted to a bionic limb
giving the individual direct volitional control over their prosthesis.
The tracking algorithm can track multiple pairs of magnetic beads implanted in neighboring muscles
which could enable a person to precisely manipulate the robotic hand.
This technology may change how we interact with a variety of devices.
The magnetic beads placed into an injured or weakened muscle
could help transmit the muscle's dynamics to an exoskeleton, which could provide the wear
with seamless bionic strength compensating for the muscle's weakness. Muscle length tracking
can also aid in rehabilitation after nerve or spinal cord injury. Traditional muscle
stimulation transmits the brain's commands imprecisely and produces irregular motion.
Using the magnetic bead tracking system,
accurate feedback from affected muscles can be relayed to a muscle stimulator
providing the precise control needed to bring immobilized muscles back to natural movements.
This technology may greatly improve neural control
and has the chance of fundamentally improving how humans interact with machines.