Intelligent orthoses make movements perceptible.

Artificially restoring the sense of touch: The technology for this is being developed by a team at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU). In this project, FAU researchers are implementing intelligent orthoses that not only perform movements but also make them perceptible. The Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) is supporting the project at the Department of Artificial Intelligence in Biomedical Engineering (AIBE) and the Department of Mechanical Engineering with 960,000 euros.

Restoration of hand function

Strokes or spinal cord injuries can severely limit the mobility of hands and arms. So far, however, there is no drug therapy that can reliably restore these functions. Technological approaches, on the other hand, are showing promising progress – especially the use of orthoses makes it possible to specifically support and partially restore hand function. Orthoses are mechanical aids that stabilize joints and make everyday movements easier.

The FAU team holds a leading position in this field. In contrast to comparable orthoses, which rely on unnatural controls such as voice commands, their orthoses detect muscle impulses and translate them into movement. However, users still lack perceptible feedback. Without this sensation, it is difficult to properly assess movements.

More independence and quality of life

BIONIK builds on ongoing research. Since 2023, the n-squared lab and FAPS have been collaborating in the “GraspAgain” project on mechanical support systems that restore hand function to the extent that those affected can independently perform more than 90 percent of everyday tasks.

BMFTR supports health technologies.

The funding is provided by the Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) under the “START-interactive” program. The BIONIK project involves the Neuromuscular Physiology and Neural Interfacing Laboratory (n-squared lab) and the Chair of Factory Automation and Production Systems (FAPS).

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