Literally reach out and touch someone.
A groundbreaking medical device that can simulate the “natural” and “real” sensation of human touch has been proposed as a cure for loneliness, potentially allowing loved ones to enjoy the feeling of physical contact even if they are continents apart.
Researchers at University College London (UCL) have developed a wearable technology called the innovative Bio-Inspired Haptic System (BAMH), a tiny silicone fingertip connector combined with a miniature machine that uses vibrations to stimulate nerve cells. Independent Reported.
Researcher Dr Sara Abad explained how the device could be used to give the sensation of holding hands remotely, “introducing the sense of touch to virtual social interactions”.
“For example, due to the pandemic and globalization, it's very likely that family members don't live in the same city,” Abad said. “To build social bonds, you need touch, and video calls don't allow that.”
Four key stimulating neurons can be activated to give users a “realistic sense of touch,” but the technology has other fascinating potential applications.
For example, in robotic-assisted surgery, the BAMH can scan and analyze if it is dealing with skin tissue that may show signs of cancer. It can also be used to treat metacarpal tunnel syndrome. In the future, it may even be used to remotely handle radioactive materials.
The researchers next hope to expand the experimental group in clinical trials, with the goal of learning more about why people might lose their sense of touch over time.
The researchers aim to recruit at least 10 people who have experienced sensory loss into a clinical trial in the coming months to gain a better understanding of how touch deteriorates over time.
“We want to understand [if] Over time, [touch] It's sensitive,” said Professor Helge Woerdemann.
“And then we hope to feed that data back to clinicians to understand whether they can employ treatments to slow the loss of (touch) sensation.”
