https://video.kera.org/video/augmented-cinitc/
Pretty amazing stuff in this episode. I hadn't known that the science and engineering had got to that level already. When you think about it, there's not really a reason why you shouldn't be able to exercise fine motor control in a prosthesis, assuming there's no intervening nerve damage, so in a way it's a also surprising, that it's only in recent decades that things have gotten to this point.
The difficulty with the electrodes was fascinating. The difficulty I've always seen with prosthesis with real neural control is with any kind of implantation or penetration that persistently passes through skin, there's a high risk of infection and scaring, so I would have expected skin contact electrodes to be what they ultimately went with, but I think there's a middle way? We can, and do, implant devices in the body long-term: maybe there's utility in embedded devices that do signal transduction from nerves. These devices could be networked and given a standard interface, so then you have a platform for development of diverse prostheses without the need for custom fitting, and possibly with simplified (but still powerful) abstractions over the full range of limb movements so you don't have to be versed in the biomechanics to make something useful and intuitive.

(side note: I was a bit impatient for the science and engineering to start in this one, but ultimately, I appreciated the emotional tie in since it pays off at the end.)
#science #engineering #prosthesis #medicine #nova #documentary