The Myokinetic Control and Stimulation Interface: A Robotic Platform to Study Kinesthesia in Humans
摘要
Significant efforts have been devoted to providing sensory feedback for upper limb amputees, with very few studies tackling the challenge of providing meaningful proprioceptive feedback. The Myokinetic Interface introduces a novel approach utilizing implanted magnets for wireless tracking of muscle tissue, thereby offering a direct assessment of their physical contraction to facilitate control of robotic prosthetic devices. Additionally, implanted magnets offer the opportunity to stimulate musculotendon proprioceptors via untethered selective vibrations. This study presents a ready-to-use robotic platform to study kinesthesia in a trans-radial amputee fitted with the myokinetic interface. Such a platform is capable of simultaneously tracking multiple moving magnets, such as those associated with muscle contractions, while subjecting them to selective and frequency-controlled vibrations through external coils. This study marks a significant advancement toward the establishment of a scientific instrument for studying kinesthesia in humans.