The Next Frontier in Neuroprosthetics: Integration of Biomimetic Somatosensory Feedback

The development of neuroprosthetic limbs—robotic devices designed to restore lost limb functions for individuals with limb loss or impairment—has made significant strides over the past decade, reaching the stage of successful human clinical trials. A current research focus involves providing somatos...

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Main Authors: Yucheng Tian, Giacomo Valle, Paul S. Cederna, Stephen W. P. Kemp
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-02-01
Series:Biomimetics
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2313-7673/10/3/130
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author Yucheng Tian
Giacomo Valle
Paul S. Cederna
Stephen W. P. Kemp
author_facet Yucheng Tian
Giacomo Valle
Paul S. Cederna
Stephen W. P. Kemp
author_sort Yucheng Tian
collection DOAJ
description The development of neuroprosthetic limbs—robotic devices designed to restore lost limb functions for individuals with limb loss or impairment—has made significant strides over the past decade, reaching the stage of successful human clinical trials. A current research focus involves providing somatosensory feedback to these devices, which was shown to improve device control performance and embodiment. However, widespread commercialization and clinical adoption of somatosensory neuroprosthetic limbs remain limited. Biomimetic neuroprosthetics, which seeks to resemble the natural sensory processing of tactile information and to deliver biologically relevant inputs to the nervous system, offer a promising path forward. This method could bridge the gap between existing neurotechnology and the future realization of bionic limbs that more closely mimic biological limbs. In this review, we examine the recent key clinical trials that incorporated somatosensory feedback on neuroprosthetic limbs through biomimetic neurostimulation for individuals with missing or paralyzed limbs. Furthermore, we highlight the potential impact of cutting-edge advances in tactile sensing, encoding strategies, neuroelectronic interfaces, and innovative surgical techniques to create a clinically viable human–machine interface that facilitates natural tactile perception and advanced, closed-loop neuroprosthetic control to improve the quality of life of people with sensorimotor impairments.
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spelling doaj-art-368f80eb385d4a92ac09c60c2caa2fd42025-08-20T02:11:00ZengMDPI AGBiomimetics2313-76732025-02-0110313010.3390/biomimetics10030130The Next Frontier in Neuroprosthetics: Integration of Biomimetic Somatosensory FeedbackYucheng Tian0Giacomo Valle1Paul S. Cederna2Stephen W. P. Kemp3Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USADepartment of Electrical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Gothenburg, SwedenDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USADepartment of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USAThe development of neuroprosthetic limbs—robotic devices designed to restore lost limb functions for individuals with limb loss or impairment—has made significant strides over the past decade, reaching the stage of successful human clinical trials. A current research focus involves providing somatosensory feedback to these devices, which was shown to improve device control performance and embodiment. However, widespread commercialization and clinical adoption of somatosensory neuroprosthetic limbs remain limited. Biomimetic neuroprosthetics, which seeks to resemble the natural sensory processing of tactile information and to deliver biologically relevant inputs to the nervous system, offer a promising path forward. This method could bridge the gap between existing neurotechnology and the future realization of bionic limbs that more closely mimic biological limbs. In this review, we examine the recent key clinical trials that incorporated somatosensory feedback on neuroprosthetic limbs through biomimetic neurostimulation for individuals with missing or paralyzed limbs. Furthermore, we highlight the potential impact of cutting-edge advances in tactile sensing, encoding strategies, neuroelectronic interfaces, and innovative surgical techniques to create a clinically viable human–machine interface that facilitates natural tactile perception and advanced, closed-loop neuroprosthetic control to improve the quality of life of people with sensorimotor impairments.https://www.mdpi.com/2313-7673/10/3/130neuroprostheticssomatosensory feedbackbiomimeticneurostimulationneuroelectronicssurgical technique
spellingShingle Yucheng Tian
Giacomo Valle
Paul S. Cederna
Stephen W. P. Kemp
The Next Frontier in Neuroprosthetics: Integration of Biomimetic Somatosensory Feedback
Biomimetics
neuroprosthetics
somatosensory feedback
biomimetic
neurostimulation
neuroelectronics
surgical technique
title The Next Frontier in Neuroprosthetics: Integration of Biomimetic Somatosensory Feedback
title_full The Next Frontier in Neuroprosthetics: Integration of Biomimetic Somatosensory Feedback
title_fullStr The Next Frontier in Neuroprosthetics: Integration of Biomimetic Somatosensory Feedback
title_full_unstemmed The Next Frontier in Neuroprosthetics: Integration of Biomimetic Somatosensory Feedback
title_short The Next Frontier in Neuroprosthetics: Integration of Biomimetic Somatosensory Feedback
title_sort next frontier in neuroprosthetics integration of biomimetic somatosensory feedback
topic neuroprosthetics
somatosensory feedback
biomimetic
neurostimulation
neuroelectronics
surgical technique
url https://www.mdpi.com/2313-7673/10/3/130
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