Man Controls Two Prosthetic Arms With His Mind And Thoughts [Video]


A Colorado man, a double amputee, has been able to use his mind and thoughts to control a pair of shoulder-level robotic prosthetic arms for the first time.

Les Baugh, who was participating in the decades-long Revolutionizing Prosthetics Program, lost both arms in an electrical accident about four decades ago. But with the assistance of researchers at Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), he has become the first “bilateral shoulder-level amputee” to be fitted with and control at the same time a pair of Modular Prosthetic Limbs (MPLs).

He was able to control his new prosthetic arms by simply thinking about doing it, just as normal people do when they move their natural limbs.

According to Trauma Surgeon at Johns Hopkins, Albert Chi, as a first step, the patient had to undergo a surgical operation at Johns Hopkins Hospital called targeted muscle reinnervation. This is a special procedure that involves “reassigning” nerves that the patient once used to control his natural arm and hand to a new prosthetic arm.

Chi explained that the surgery makes it possible for upper limb amputees, whose nerves for controlling limb movements have fallen out of use after many years, to use them once again. The procedure restores their ability to control their new prosthetic arms by simply thinking about doing it.

“By reassigning existing nerves, we can make it possible for people who have had upper-arm amputations to control their prosthetic devices by merely thinking about the action they want to perform.”

During trials, following the reassignment surgery, Baugh underwent training to learn how to use his muscles to control the prosthetic arms. The patient was able to develop a new range of fine-tuned motions of each arm and hand and was even able to lift small objects like cups.

Part of the process of training his muscles to adapt to new challenges involved the development of pattern recognition algorithms, which capture the patterns of amplitude and frequency of specific and relevant muscles that represent movements. The process also involved translating the information into actual movements of the prosthetic arms.

Baugh’s shoulder was fitted with custom sockets, which provide not only points for physical articulation of the artificial limbs but also points for interfacing the electronic systems of the robotic arms with the patient’s reassigned or reinnvervated nerves.

Mind-Controlled Prosthetic Arms
Les Baugh fitted with his pair of mind-controlled prosthetic arms.

Before Baugh had the opportunity to try out his new limbs, he was able to use virtual models in a Virtual Integration Environment (VIE), which correspond with the prosthetic arms and can thus be used to test the interfacing facility of the prosthetic system.

The opportunity ensured that Baugh was able to adapt faster to his new limbs after the sockets were fitted and the prosthetic arms attached.

According to Courtney Moran, a prosthetist who worked with Baugh at the APL, the patient soon learned how to use his new limbs successfully to perform everyday tasks.

“This task simulated activities that may commonly be faced in a day-to-day environment at home. He was able to do this with only 10 days of training, which demonstrates the intuitive nature of the control.”

Researchers who worked with Baugh were deeply impressed by how much he was able to learn in a short time.

“The speed with which he learned… was far beyond expectation. What really was amazing was his ability to control a combination of motions across both arms at the same time … a first for simultaneous bimanual control.”

So far, Baugh has been able to use the arms only under controlled conditions in the laboratory. The researchers now plan to provide him with the opportunity to use his prosthetic arms outside the laboratory.

Lifting Objects With Prosthetic Arms
Baugh practices lifting objects with prosthetic arms.

And Baugh is looking forward to the opportunity, hoping that he would soon be able to perform tasks that normal people take for granted.

“Maybe I’ll be able to — for once — be able to put change in a pop machine and get the pop out of it. Simple things like that most people never think of. And it’s re-available to me.”

Commenting on the breakthrough, the program manager at the Revolutionizing Prosthetics Program, Michael McLoughlin, compared the current stage in the development of the new technology with the early days of the internet and expressed confidence in the future of mind-controlled prosthetic limbs technology.

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