Pisa, Italy: Scientists have developed a prosthetic hand for people with hand disabilities that is equipped with sensors that give the wearer a sense of the actual temperature of objects.
According to media reports, researchers in Italy tested this artificial limb on a man named Fabrizio who lost his right hand in an accident a few years ago.
However, with the help of this artificial hand, Fabrizio was able to distinguish and organize objects of different temperatures. This is the first time natural temperature sensing has been integrated into a functional artificial hand, the researchers said.
The artificial hand, called MiniTouch, uses commonly available electronics and does not require surgery to restore temperature sensation to patients, the researchers said.
Co-senior author of the study Silvestro Misra, professor of biorobotics research at the Santana School of Advanced Studies in Italy, said that sensing temperature along with the sense of touch in the artificial hands was the last link that has almost been completed.
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