Researchers like Ahmed Shehata, postdoctoral fellow with the University of Alberta's Bionic Limbs for Improved Natural Control (BLINC Lab) are working to improve the sensation people using prosthetics can feel, which can lead to better health outcomes and a higher quality of life for the user.
For people who have lost a limb, the simple act of picking something up can become very complicated. One of the reasons is that they often can't feel what they're trying to pick up. Imagine not being able to tell how far your fingers are from a coffee mug without looking, or knowing if you are squeezing your hand with enough pressure to lift a mug without dropping it. Without that feedback travelling through your fingertips to your brain, just navigating the space around the object you want to pick up can be tricky.
Through a collaboration of medical, rehabilitation, engineering and computing sciences approaches, researchers in the field of prosthetics are making rapid advancements in addressing these issues. Researchers like Ahmed Shehata, postdoctoral fellow with the University of Alberta's Bionic Limbs for Improved Natural Control (BLINC Lab) are working to improve the sensation people using prosthetics can feel, which can lead to better health outcomes and a higher quality of life for the user.
"Human-machine integration is now possible," said Shehata. "One of our major projects at BLINC is to use that integration to create better prosthetics with improved control and sensory feedback so patients can actually feel what they are touching, and have a better sense of where their prosthetic limb is in relation to their bodies."
Shehata is appearing at the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry's third annual Festival of Health, taking place Saturday, May 25 at the U of A's Edmonton Clinic Health Academy. In a presentation at the event, Shehata will provide an overview of the technological advancements in prosthetics-such as tactile and movement-that promote sense of agency, ownership and improved performance. He also hopes his presentation will make attendees think about prosthetics in new ways.
"For example, hand prostheses do not have to have fingers. They can have chopsticks, hooks, a golf club, or even a racket. Think of all the possibilities!"
Shehata will be speaking during the Festival of Health's Rapid-Fire Presentations and Ask the Expert: Q&A Sessions starting at 1 p.m. The festival is a free event, open to the public. Event information and a link for tickets is below.
Festival of Health
Register here for your free ticket
May 25, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Edmonton Clinic Health Academy
North Campus, University of Alberta
Booths and Children's Activities Area
10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Learning Session and Tours Block 1
10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Barbecue and Entertainment
11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Rapid Fire Presentations and Ask The Experts: Q & A Session
1 - 2:30 p.m.
Learning Sessions and Tours Block 2
3 - 4 p.m.
More information available at uab.ca/healthfest.