Smart Hand, Theme 1: The neural coding of the human sensory-motor system for interfacing, stimulating, recording, and processing electrical signals from muscles and nerve tissue

The Smart Bioadaptive Hand Prosthesis - FP6 STREP project. Theme 1: The neural coding of the human sensory-motor system for interfacing, stimulating, recording, and processing electrical signals from muscles and nerve tissue. The neural coding will be developed in order build a grasping model in the sensory space generated by the neural interfaces. We study various classes of tactile events such as contact, slippage, and skin stretch and their neural representation. We will formulate an estimator of the mechanical events based on the nerve signal recorded. We plan multiple site recordings from the nerves in order to allow better representation of the touch and slip. We will further analyze afferent signals recorded from stretched muscles in order to estimate the direction and magnitude of joint angles. Wavelet-based analysis will yield to the improved angle prediction. Wavelet networks where the mother wavelet clones action-potential will further improve the perception model of grasp. Other techniques that consider both time and frequency content will be considered, especially the use of fractals. Project leader: Prof. Thomas Laurell, Lund University, Sweden.