• croatiantimes.com
• romaniantimes.at
• salzburgtimes.at
• viennatimes.at
• austrianindependent.com

Today

• Vienna - Pub Quiz at Charlie Ps
• Vienna - Unknown Underground
• Vienna- January and February at the Austrian Film Museum
• Vienna - Art by Petronilla Hohenwarter.
• STOMP at the MuseumsQuartier

© europics.at

20. 10. 09. - 14:00

• more Around the World news
• RSS Feed Around the World

20. 10. 09. - 14:00

Robotic hand that feels

The first robotic hand that gives amputees a sense of touch has been developed by Swedish scientists.

The Smarthand contains 40 sensors that are activated when pressed against an object.

The sensors stimulate nerves in the arm which then activate the appropriate part of the patient's brain, allowing them to "feel" objects they are holding.

The Swedish team believe the technology is a significant advance on previous robotic arms fitted to amputees.

So called 'sensory feedback' has always been the Holy Grail for scientists developing prosthetic limbs.

Robin af Ekenstam, the first amputee to try the robotic hand, said it was just like using a real one.

He said: "It's a feeling I have not had in a long time."

"When I grab something tightly I can feel it in the fingertips. It's strange since I don't have them any more! It's amazing."

The Smarthand uses a complex system that enables patients to perform hand functions with a more realistic human 'touch'.

It has four motors, which move the thumb and fingers.

The motors are connected to nerves in the arm that move Mr af Ekenstam's real digits.

He is able to pick up a plastic water bottle, without crushing it, and pour himself a drink - or even use a key to open the door.

Professor Goran Lundborg, a surgeon at Malmo University Hospital, said the artificial hand was a significant advance.

"If you find the right spot the correct areas of the brain cortex will be activated.

"If you put pressure on the index finger of the artificial hand then the index finger area of the brain will be activated," he said.

It's claimed the hand will also eliminate "phantom pains" that amputees and as a result improve their "quality of life".

The research was funded by the European Commission and the scientists claim it means the perfect artificial hand is no longer a "fantasy".

The Smarthand integrates recent advances in nanobioscience, cognitive neuroscience and information technologies to develop a robotic prosthetic hand with all basic features displayed by a real one.

The researchers claims it differs in focus and concept to other recent projects such as the Artificial Hand, CyberHand and Freehand.

Austrian Times

Vienna ÖVP endorses proposed district cuts
Vienna People’s Party (ÖVP) Josefstadt district head Veronika Mickel suggested continuing to speak about a reduction of positions in the city's administration.

Skiing starts in Vienna
Over this winter holiday week, Vienna’s residents will once again be able to make a trip to the slopes without venturing out of the city. The capital’s very own ski slope, "High Hills", will be open daily to the public from 4 February until 11 February.

Vranitzky appreciates tuition fees discussion
Former Social Democratic (SPÖ) Chancellor Franz Vranitzky has said he welcomes the current debate about a reintroduction of tuition fees.

Wiener Linien records rising demand for annual passes
The number of people opting for annual Wiener Linien tickets is soaring.

Many Austrians mistrust jurisdiction
Almost four in 10 Austrians had a worse opinion of the country’s juridical system today than a few years ago, a new survey shows.

Ice wine harvest later than ever
The grapes for ice wine production have been harvested later than ever this year in Austria. The fruit for the popular dessert wine are normally picked in December at the latest but only now have the temperatures been cold enough for the harvest.

Westbahn welcomes 6,000 a day
Westbahn manages to sell one in two of the overall number of tickets it offers, a spokesman said today (Fri).

Vice chancellor refuses to exclude FPÖ
The People’s Party (ÖVP) keeps refusing to disassociate itself from the Freedom Party (FPÖ) following FPÖ leader Heinz-Christian Strache’s controversial comparisons with the Nazi era.

Austrian and German terrorists hid plans in their underpants
Two alleged terrorists including one Austrian hid plans in their underpants to hack off heads, burn bodies and then send the videos back to their al-Qaeda bosses in Afghanistan, a German court has heard.

Vitamin D linked to fertility
Austrian scientists have found a link between a lack of vitamin D and fertility. Graz-based endocrinologist Barbara Obermayer-Pietsch and her colleague Elisabeth Lerchbaum compared data from several vitamin D studies and say there is a clear link between vitamin D and the production of testosterone and sperm quality.