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A team of experts has designed a fingertip device that "enables a realistic sense of touch" one of the most complex sensations in the human body. It could allow us to "virtually hold the hands of our loved ones".
The Bio-Inspired Touch (BAMH) system works by mimicking the four touch receptors in the human finger, using vibrations at different speeds and strengths across multiple areas.
The research team said the developed technology would pave the way for the creation of a glove that "could enable remote social interaction and the feeling of holding a hand". For example, someone in London would be able to "hold" the hand of a dying relative in Sydney, so that both would experience the sensation of touch in real time.
The experts also said the device could be useful in healthcare settings as a diagnostic tool for cases of loss of the sense of touch. It could even be used in remote healthcare, where surgeons could use the device to differentiate between healthy and cancerous tissue.
“The sense of touch is the least known of all our senses, due to its complexity,” said Dr Sara Abad, from University College London (UCL). “The skin is one of the largest organs in our body, and it provides several types of information, including the texture of objects. It also tells us what kind of stimulation we are receiving.”
She added: “One area where the device could be used is in social applications, for example, in the context of the pandemic and globalisation, it is very likely that you have family living far away from you. In order to be able to communicate effectively socially, which is important, we need touch, but video calls do not provide that. The developed technology offers a way to integrate touch into our virtual social interactions.”
The research team, which presented its innovation at the British Science Festival held at the University of East London, hopes to recruit around 10 people with loss of touch for a clinical trial in the next few months.
The feasibility study of the technology has been published in the journal Nature Communications.
Source: Daily Mail - Published on 15-09-2024 - https://ar.rt.com/yajv
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