Development of prosthetic and robotic assistance

R’Reeyah Mabry-Francis

My research interest is observing prosthetic tactile sensory application. Over the past years researchers have developed sensory detailing of prosthesis and have increased the range for which prosthesis can be used. The traditional concept of a prosthetic is to replace limbs or tissue that a person lost, however prostheses have evolved to become intellectual mechanical software that is being used to detect stimulation, give back the perception of touch to amputees, and help regain the ability to perform tasks like eating and grabbing objects. To help guide sensory development of prosthesis one study I have read about experiments with a Rubber Hand Illusion (RHI) to give a false sense of belonging to an amputee. The goal was to see if the RHI between an amputee and healthy person showed similar activation in the cerebellum. Another study investigated the influence of robotic assistance in vitreoretinal surgery. The study showed robotic assistance improved accuracy and precision of the surgery. A third study found apparent moving sensation and TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) through electrolysis a viable way to create a distinguished sensation in hands. This research can help provide important sensory information to amputees to help them in tasks and regain lost connections. I am doing Ingenuity Research Practicum and will be working with Dr. Jeremy Brown in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.