A new device uses wearable biosensors and artificial intelligence (AI) to recognise hand gestures from electrical signals in the forearm. It is developed to help control prosthetic limbs using electrical signal by a team of international researchers.
The biosensing device has a flexible armband to detect electrical signals from 64 points on the forearm and also has an AI-powered electrical chip to correlate with signal patterns that is found in the forearm with specific hand gestures. The algorithm has been set to recognise 21 unique hand gestures, including thumbs-up, fist, flat hand, holding up individual fingers and counting numbers.
The working of biosensors is completely depend on the electric field that is generated during the movement of muscles When we want our hand muscles to contract, your brain sends electrical signals through neurons in your neck and shoulders to muscle fibres in your arms and hands that is recognised by sensors for their operation.
The device was trained by performing specific hand gesture in order to make AI learn the control movements. A new type of advanced AI used in the device, can also update itself with new information as mentioned by researchers.
The safety of the equipment can be increased by using electronic chip. It does all the processing locally and reduces the computing time. It also does not transmit a user’s personal data to other devices in nearby adding to the security features. Although these technologies exist already ,the uniqueness of this device can related to its cost, size and flexibility. This equipment integrates all the four technologies like biosensing, signal processing and interpretation, and artificial intelligence which make them technologically more reliable.
This new device is developed by Professors of University of California Berkeley, a more development for releasing it for commercial purpose.