A new procedure should help people with nerve damage or amputations to regain at least some of their motor abilities. An AI algorithm assesses and interprets the residual nerve activity in the affected part of the body. Often, all it needs is a few minutes of training before a patient is able to move the fingers of a virtual hand or a prosthesis on command. The method developed at Friedrich-Alexander-Universit\u00e4t Erlangen-N\u00fcrnberg (FAU) is now available for researchers to use and develop further free of charge. An article recently published in the journal Science Advances* indicates the potential of this open source solution.<\/p>\n
Prosthetic hands or legs controlled by nerve impulses have been available for several years now. However, it often takes a while until people feel confident in using them. The learning process is considerably shorter in the method developed by FAU. It is based on the premise that before their accident or illness, the patients were generally able to move normally. They have internalized the necessary motor commands over many years. The approach called \u201cMyoGestic\u201d aims to make use of this advantage.<\/p>\n