I’ve always felt a deep empathy for those who rely on prosthetics, but I’ll be honest—I didn’t know much about them. That curiosity led me down a rabbit hole about prosthetics, and that’s when I stumbled upon something pretty cool: smart prosthetics. It’s incredible how far medical science has come in this area. Thanks to tech getting tinier, we now have prosthetics controlled by computers. And it doesn’t stop there—thanks to machine learning and AI, these high-tech limbs are getting closer and closer to mimicking natural human movements. It’s fascinating stuff! I’m going to share some of what I learned on this incredible journey, starting with a brief history of prosthetics. Next, I’ll introduce smart prosthetics, and the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in the development and improvements of smart prosthetics. Of course, any scientific advancement will encounter challenges and limitations, so I’ll present some of those as well. I’ll wind up with some speculations and predictions and anticipations of the future of smart prosthetics. So, let’s get started.
History of Prosthetics
An exploration of prosthetics begins as long as 3,400 years ago, in ancient Egypt. Two artificial toes, not for the same person, though, give us our first examples. The older of the two was made from a material known as cartonnage. Cartonnage is a material made from layers of linen or papyrus covered with plaster, and the material was used in funerary practices, covering the body and allowing for the shaping of delicate facial features. The newer of the two toes was made from leather and wood. Researchers have also found a hollowed-out wooden leg ornamented with bronze for a Roman nobleman, aged around 300 B.C. During the 5th through the 8th centuries in the German-Swiss region, artisans crafted artificial feet from wood, iron, and bronze.
War and military conflicts are drivers for advances in many technologies, and prosthetics is no exception. During the Second Punic War, the Roman general Marcus Sergius Silus lost his right hand. Lacking a way to hold his shield, he replaced the missing hand with one made of iron specifically designed for that purpose. Medieval knights used wooden limbs for horsemanship and battle activities.
We’ve taken prosthetics a long way. As we’ve seen, the journey of prosthetics through history is a testament to human ingenuity and the enduring quest to overcome physical limitations. From the simple wooden limbs of ancient civilizations to the sophisticated mechanical devices of the 19th and 20th centuries, each advancement brought us closer to replicating the function of natural limbs. Being able to fit a prosthetic device precisely to a patient can enhance the quality of life and mobility for someone who is missing a body part, regardless of the reason. Today’s artificial appendages may contain neural interfaces and arise from 3D-printed custom designs. However, it’s the dawn of the digital age that has truly transformed the landscape of prosthetic technology.
Smart Prosthetics
Enter the era of smart prosthetics: a groundbreaking fusion of biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. These aren’t just replacements for lost limbs; they’re highly intelligent devices capable of mirroring natural movement, responding to muscle signals, and even adapting to various activities and environments. This leap from mechanical to intelligent, adaptive systems marks a pivotal moment in the history of prosthetics, opening up unprecedented possibilities for individuals with limb loss.
Smart prosthetics represent a significant leap in technology for individuals with missing limbs. They’re different from conventional prosthetics, which focus primarily on restoring basic function. Smart prosthetics incorporate sensors, advanced control systems, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Part of the purpose of the “smart” parts is to provide real-time feedback and personal adjustments to the person using them. Smart prosthetics can enhance mobility, comfort, and overall quality of life by imitating the user’s natural movements and responding to their neural signals
Sensory feedback is one of the key features of smart prosthetics. Integrating bioinspired sensors that detect movement, position, and pressure, smart prosthetics allow users to interact more intuitively with the devices, an aspect lacking in traditional prosthetics. Although the term “algorithm” is getting a lot of bad press due to use in our interaction with social media, control algorithms in smart prosthetics interpret signals from the user’s muscles and nerves, which enables rather precise and coordinated motion. One example is mind-controlled devices, which translate thoughts into actions by responding to the user’s intentions. AI, another less-understood technology, allows smart prosthetics to adapt to preferences, repeated actions, and abilities by making adjustments based on real-time data generated by the ongoing use of the device.
Smart prosthetics do restore physical function, as to traditional prosthetics, but they also bring a sense of connection and control to the body itself. These wonderful new devices can offer hope, greater independence, and an improved sense of well-being by creating a bridge between the human and the machine. We should expect that ongoing research and collaboration between the disciplines studying prosthetic improvements will result in even more groundbreaking innovations. Smart prosthetics aren’t just a mechanical replacement with a computer attached. They represent a fusion of technology, biology, and empathy, and result in enhancement of the human experience.
The Role of AI and Machine Learning (ML)
One of the essential factors to living is the ability to gather information, process it, and put it to use. While I’m not going to go so far as to make a claim that smart prosthetics are “alive,” AI and ML allow the devices to gather information from the external environment. The sensors in the devices can detect things like surface texture, potential hazards, and changes in pressure. The smart components enable the devices to analyze the data in real time and make what looks and feels like intuitive adjustments. An example of these adjustments can be found in a smart prosthetic food that can adapt to different terrains, which is a function performed by a human ankle. We can intuitively change our step when we move from pavement to sand, and a smart prosthetic food will be able to “feel” the difference in the surface between the hard pavement and soft sand.
Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) will undoubtedly garner much ethical discussion, but by combining BCIs with ML algorithms, device users will be able to control their prosthetic devices using their thoughts and muscle signals. BCIs can take the neural activity and translate that activity into very precise movements. This can enable users to pick up small objects and hold their fingers together. ML provides the learning capacity to the device; the more the user uses it, the better it will get at moving intuitively, by learning to predict the user’s intentions based on past situations.
Additionally, the ML and AI capabilities mean that smart prosthetics will by extremely customizable. The ML algorithms will adapt to not only intention, but preferences and needs. Strength of grip required, walking patterns, and fine motor skills can benefit from the interaction between the user’s intent and the ability of the devices, and the performance of both will be improved.
Challenges and Considerations
The overarching topic of smart prosthetics, while exciting and innovative, also presents some expected challenges and concepts to address. Two are related, and these are cost and accessibility. These items are expensive to produce and maintain, and they aren’t “off-the-shelf” or “over-the-counter” items. They require special fitting and training by professionals. Typical to technology, we may expect to see the costs decreasing as they become more widely available, but that still leaves the accessibility problems. Not every healthcare professional will be able to provide such care, and less-developed countries may not have access to them for a long time.
Many people have expressed concerns about blurring the boundaries between humans and machines. They point out the impact on the identity and dignity of users as something we must consider, and I would agree. However, I believe that if the device is available, the user must be given the option to try it. Others argue that the devices can be used to enhance or augment human abilities, creating yet another divide: the “enhanced” and the “non-enhanced.” Such a divide could fuel discrimination actions in education, sports, business, and other social experiences. The issue of privacy is also a matter that must be included in any discussion of smart devices.
We also need to take into account the power consumption that all digital devices impose, which incurs both costs and logistical challenges. Devices must be able to work in all of the environments the user experiences, and they must be durable enough to accommodate a user’s typical activities.
What does the Future of Smart Prosthetics Look Like?
In the future, we will see advances in BCIs, enabling prosthetic devices to be controlled by the user’s thoughts. BCIs will use electrodes implanted in the patient’s brain or adhered to the scalp to pick up neural signals and translate them into commands for the device. We will also see improvements in sensory feedback: realistic sensations of touch, temperature, pain, and the ability of the device to sense its location relative to other body parts without looking, which is called proprioception. We’ll see an increase in the use of 3D printing, biodegradable materials, and more adaptive algorithms that learn from the user’s behavior, which will further allow smart prosthetics to match the user’s anatomy, physiology, and personal preferences. The smart devices will get smarter.
Thanks for Joining Me on this Exploration
As we’ve journeyed through the evolution of prosthetics, from their humble beginnings to the cutting-edge smart prosthetics powered by AI and ML, it’s clear that the future is bright. These advancements not only promise to restore mobility but also to offer a semblance of natural movement and control that was once deemed impossible. However, the path forward isn’t without its challenges. From technical complications to accessibility issues, there’s still a lot to navigate.
One thing is certain: the intersection of technology and medical science is creating possibilities that can significantly improve the lives of those who use prosthetics. As we look ahead, it’s exciting to think about what the next breakthroughs will be.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. Are you as hopeful about the future of smart prosthetics as I am? Do you see any challenges or opportunities that I haven’t mentioned? Drop a comment below and let’s start a conversation. Your insights and experiences are what make this discussion richer for all of us.
This is a list of sources I used for this article that can provide you further information.
https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/article/prosthetics-through-the-ages
https://daily.jstor.org/a-brief-history-of-prosthetic-limbs/
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s44174-023-00087-8
https://livingwithamplitude.com/smart-prosthetics-amputees-bioengineering-2020/
https://neurosciencenews.com/machine-learning-prosthetics-20036/
https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2013/limb-prosthetics/
https://whatnextglobal.com/smart-prosthetics-use-of-ai-and-iot-in-prosthetics/
https://www.britannica.com/science/prosthesis
https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=a15470c7-3b76-44e3-a72f-20b314c482b0
https://www.medtechdive.com/news/how-ai-and-machine-learning-are-changing-prosthetics/550788/
https://www.premierprosthetic.com/02/history-of-prosthetics/
https://www.theactiveamputee.org/2020/12/20/the-evolution-of-smart-prosthetics/