Learning to Control Prosthetic Hands

Acquiring a new skill, for example learning to use chopsticks, requires accurate motor commands to be sent from the brain to the hand, and reliable sensory feedback from the hand to the brain. Over time and with training, the brain learns to handle this two-way communication flexibly and efficiently. Inspired by this sensorimotor interplay, our research is guided by a conviction that progress in prosthetic limb control is best achieved through a strong synergy of motor learning and sensory feedback. In this talk, we review several converging case studies that advocate for the role of motor learning in control of prosthetic hands.
 
Bio
Dr Kianoush Nazarpour (PhD 2008, SMIEEE) holds a Readership in Biomedical Engineering at School of Engineering and Institute of Neuroscience in Newcastle University. His research is motivated by the potential of prosthetics to restore function to individuals with limb difference. He leads the Intelligent Sensing Laboratory (www.intellsensing.com) and a team of one Programme Manager, four postdoctoral research associates and three PhD students. Since 2013, as Principal Investigator (PI), he has received £3m+ funding from the EPSRC, Leverhulme Trust and The Royal Society and holds an EPSRC Healthcare Technology Challenge Award. He has authored over 90 peer-reviewed articles in top journals and in conferences. His work has received high-profile international media coverage, e.g. in BBC. His work has received several awards, e.g. the prestigious Netexplo 2018 award (UNESCO), for the “Hand that Sees” project with citation “one of the most promising digital innovations with impact on society and business”.