Reach out and touch someone — literally.
A breakthrough medical device that is able to simulate the “natural”, “real-life” sensation of human touch is being touted as a cure for isolation – and could allow loved ones to enjoy the sensation of physical contact even if they're continents away.
Researchers at University College London (UCL) have created wearable technology – a tiny silicone fingertip connector called the Innovative Bio-inspired Haptic System (BAMH) – that can be paired with a tiny machine that uses vibrations to stimulate nerve cells. The Independent Report.
Researcher Dr. Sarah Abad explained how the device could be used to provide the sensation of holding hands for a remote hug, “incorporating touch into our virtual social interactions.”
“For example, with the pandemic and globalization, it’s very possible that you don’t have family living in your city,” Abad said. “For social engagement, which is important, you need contact, but video calls don’t provide that.”
While activating four major excitable nerve cells could give the user a “realistic sense of touch,” there are other fascinating potential uses for this technology, too.
For example, in robot-assisted surgery, BAMH can scan and analyze whether they are dealing with skin tissue showing signs of cancer. It can also be used in the treatment of metacarpal tunnel syndrome. It could also one day be used to handle radioactive materials remotely.
Next, the researchers want to expand their experiment group into a clinical trial — to find out how people lose their sense of touch over time.
The researchers want to recruit at least 10 people experiencing loss of sensation into a clinical trial over the next few months to better understand how touch perception declines over time.
“We want to understand [if] Can we detect degradation in some time [touch] sensitivity,” said Professor Helge Vardeman.
“And then we want to send that data back to the clinician so they can understand if they can adapt their therapy to slow the loss of touch perception.”
