Bristol research boosts prosthetic touch with Government funds

Dr Ben Ward-Cherrier from Bristol’s Faculty of Science and Engineering is developing tailored neuro-signals for prosthetic arms to improve the sense of touch and quality of life for the two million upper-limb amputees worldwide. A key limitation of prosthetic arms is their inability to provide feedback on, for instance, the texture and slipperiness of things that users touch. Dr Ward-Cherrier will drive this project to develop a proof-of-concept system meeting this need. Underpinning a new breed of life-changing prostheses, this work could also deliver valuable benefits for robotics and teleoperation.

He said: “Restoring a natural sense of touch to upper-limb amputees relies on a comprehensive understanding of how tactile signals are encoded in our nervous system.

“This project will be a hugely important step in decoding these tactile signals and demonstrating a proof-of-principle system connecting tactile sensors to individual sensory neurons.

“I'm very excited to be working on this topic alongside talented clinicians and world-leading experts in microstimulation at the University of Aix-Marseille."

Dr Matthew Hennessy based in the Faculty’s School of Engineering Mathematics and Technology, is spearheading a project harnessing sophisticated mathematical models to generate new insights into how smart gels behave, from nanometre to centimetre scale. ‘Polyelectrolyte’ gels, which change size and shape in response to their environment, could help to deliver advances in robotics, drug delivery, water purification and energy storage but the ability to control these changes is critical and requires clearer understanding of the physics underpinning the gels’ behaviour. By enabling improved design and optimised use, this work will aid development of gels effective in a variety of vital applications.

Dr Hennessy said: "The molecular design of polyelectrolyte gels can pave the way to creating highly optimised materials for drug delivery and synthetic tissue.

"This project will provide the theoretical machinery required to link the molecular-scale physics of polyelectrolyte gels to their overall behaviour through the development of new mathematical models that are validated against new experimental data."

Science Minister Lord Patrick Vallance said: “We are backing 100 ambitious projects up and down the UK which could spark the beginning of a new generation of life-changing developments, from more comfortable and effective prosthetic arms to earlier detection and prevention of blood clots.

“It is vital we support bright researchers to explore a new generation of discoveries.”

Professor Charlotte Deane, EPSRC’s Executive Chair, said: “Discovery science is the bedrock of innovation, feeding the pipeline of progress critical to prosperity, sustainability, security, competitiveness, quality of life and resilience to future challenges.

“It’s always been a UK strength and EPSRC has always been at the forefront of maintaining and extending this national capability.”

Utilising and enhancing expertise across the country, these new EPSRC-backed projects will generate a legacy of extraordinary new knowledge, with impacts felt across the UK and the globe.

The package of projects will harness the skills from across the country, with 39 higher education institutions receiving support.

Further boosting the UK’s world-class research and innovation ecosystem, the investment will help attract and develop talent and promote UK leadership in adventurous, creative, curiosity-led research focused on current challenges and future opportunities.