Artificial Intelligence Enables Real-Time and Intuitive Control of Prostheses via Nerve Interface
Diu Khue Luu, Anh Tuan Nguyen, Ming Jiang, Markus W. Drealan, Jian Xu, Tong Wu, Wing-kin Tam, Wenfeng Zhao, Brian Z. H. Lim, Cynthia K. Overstreet, Qi Zhao, Jonathan Cheng, Edward W. Keefer, Zhi Yang
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The next generation prosthetic hand that moves and feels like a real hand requires a robust neural interconnection between the human minds and machines. METHODS: Here we present a neuroprosthetic system to demonstrate that principle by employing an artificial intelligence (AI) agent to translate the amputee's movement intent through a peripheral nerve interface. The AI agent is designed based on the recurrent neural network (RNN) and could simultaneously decode six degree-of-freedom (DOF) from multichannel nerve data in real-time. The decoder's performance is characterized in motor decoding experiments with three human amputees. RESULTS: First, we show the AI agent enables amputees to intuitively control a prosthetic hand with individual finger and wrist movements up to 97-98% accuracy. Second, we demonstrate the AI agent's real-time performance by measuring the reaction time and information throughput in a hand gesture matching task. Third, we investigate the AI agent's long-term uses and show the decoder's robust predictive performance over a 16-month implant duration. Conclusion & significance: Our study demonstrates the potential of AI-enabled nerve technology, underling the next generation of dexterous and intuitive prosthetic hands.