Myo Armband Used To Control Prosthetic Arm

Researchers around the world are working to make prosthetic limbs more lifelike to give people who have lost arms or legs the ability to have a more normal life. Researchers have recently used Myo armbands to allow a prosthetic wearer to control a robotic prosthetic arm wirelessly.

The wireless control system uses a pair of Myo bands on the upper arm of the prosthetic wearer that sense electrical impulses from the muscle movement and the wirelessly transmit those impulses to a nearby computer. That computer determines what movement the wearer is trying to accomplish with the muscle movement and then sends the instructions to the prosthetic device wirelessly.

The user of the prosthetic arm in this research case is Johnny Matheny and he says that the APl arm has the ability to do anything that your natural hand, wrist, or shoulder can do. The big drawback to the arm right now is that it needs a computer nearby for the prosthetic to operate limiting its usefulness in the real world.

The Myo band used to control the prosthetic is impressively cost effective selling for $200. It's also less invasive than methods of controlling robotic prosthetics that require the implanting of electrodes in the muscle to operate the arm. Thalmic Labs, the makers of the Myo band, have an SDK for the device that allows scientists and engineers to use the Myo band as they see fit.

SOURCE: Engadget