AI-powered advanced bionic hands today can closely match natural human hands in terms of movement and design. Yet, many amputees stop using them. According to researchers at the University of Utah, up to 50 per cent of people with upper limb amputations abandon advanced bionic prostheses. The main reason, experts say, is not hardware but control.<h2>Why many users abandon bionic hands</h2>Jake George, an electrical and computer engineer at the University of Utah, said modern bionic hands are difficult to operate in daily life. “Our goal was to make bionic arms more intuitive, so users could perform tasks without having to think about every movement,” George said. Natural hands rely on automatic reflexes. For example, when an object starts slipping, sensors in the fingertips adjust grip strength in 60 to 80 milliseconds, without conscious effort.Most commercial bionic hands lack this automatic response. Users must manually control grip force and finger position, often through:Mobile apps with preset grip modesMuscle signals captured using surface electromyography. Researchers said this places a heavy mental burden on users, making simple actions exhausting.<h2>How the AI ‘co-pilot’ works</h2>To address this, the research team developed an AI-powered bionic hand co-pilot.According to the study: The team modified an existing bionic hand. Fingertips were replaced with pressure and proximity sensors. These sensors detect distance and grip force in real time. An AI controller processes this data and automatically adjusts each finger.By repeatedly touching and releasing objects, the system learned how to grip items without crushing or dropping them.“The hand naturally adapts to the object. Each finger moves independently,” George explained.Shared control keeps humans in charge. Unlike earlier autonomous prosthetic systems, this AI does not take full control. The researchers designed it as a shared-control system, where:The user remains in chargeThe AI quietly assists in the backgroundUsers can still tighten, loosen, or release objects at any time“It’s not self-driving,” George said. “It helps without fighting the user.”Success rate jumps to 90 per cent in testsThe AI-powered bionic hand was tested on amputees and non-amputees in laboratory conditions.<h2>Participants were asked to:</h2>Pick up a paper cup and drinkMove fragile objects like eggsResults showed:Without AI: success rate was 10-20 per centWith AI assistance, the success rate rose to 80-90 per centThe AI also reduced mental effort, allowing users to focus less on controlling the hand.Still early, but promising&nbsp;Researchers caution that the technology is still in testing. “This hand is not yet as natural as a biological limb,”&nbsp;The next step is real-world testing in home environments. The team is also working on:Internal electromyographyNeural interface technologiesPartnerships for larger clinical trials“The goal is to combine AI, robotics, and neural interfaces into one device,” George said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

AI-powered bionic hands now look and move like real human hands, yet many users abandon them due to difficult controls. Researchers at the University of Utah have developed an AI “co-pilot” that adjusts grip automatically, cutting mental effort and sharply improving success rates.

AI-powered advanced bionic hands today can closely match natural human hands in terms of movement and design. Yet, many amputees stop using them. According to researchers at the University of Utah, up to 50 per cent of people with upper limb amputations abandon advanced bionic prostheses. The main reason, experts say, is not hardware but control. Why many users abandon bionic hands Jake George, an electrical and computer engineer at the University of Utah, said modern bionic hands are difficult to operate in daily life. “Our goal was to make bionic arms more intuitive, so users could perform tasks without having to think about every movement,” George said. Natural hands rely on automatic reflexes. For example, when an object starts slipping, sensors in the fingertips adjust grip strength in 60 to 80 milliseconds, without conscious effort. Most commercial bionic hands lack this automatic response. Users must manually control grip force and finger position, often through: Mobile apps with preset grip modes Muscle signals captured using surface electromyography. Researchers said this places a heavy mental burden on users, making simple actions exhausting. How the AI ‘co-pilot’ works To address this, the research team developed an AI-powered bionic hand co-pilot. According to the study: The team modified an existing bionic hand. Fingertips were replaced with pressure and proximity sensors. These sensors detect distance and grip force in real time. An AI controller processes this data and automatically adjusts each finger. By repeatedly touching and releasing objects, the system learned how to grip items without crushing or dropping them. “The hand naturally adapts to the object. Each finger moves independently,” George explained. Shared control keeps humans in charge. Unlike earlier autonomous prosthetic systems, this AI does not take full control. The researchers designed it as a shared-control system, where: The user remains in charge The AI quietly assists in the background Users can still tighten, loosen, or release objects at any time “It’s not self-driving,” George said. “It helps without fighting the user.” Success rate jumps to 90 per cent in tests The AI-powered bionic hand was tested on amputees and non-amputees in laboratory conditions. Participants were asked to: Pick up a paper cup and drink Move fragile objects like eggs Results showed: Without AI: success rate was 10-20 per cent With AI assistance, the success rate rose to 80-90 per cent The AI also reduced mental effort, allowing users to focus less on controlling the hand. Still early, but promising Researchers caution that the technology is still in testing. “This hand is not yet as natural as a biological limb,” The next step is real-world testing in home environments. The team is also working on: Internal electromyography Neural interface technologies Partnerships for larger clinical trials “The goal is to combine AI, robotics, and neural interfaces into one device,” George said.

AI-powered bionic hands now look and move like real human hands, yet many users abandon them due to difficult controls. Researchers at the University of Utah have developed an AI “co-pilot” that adjusts grip automatically, cutting mental effort and sharply improving success rates.

Why advanced bionic hands fail, and how AI is fixing the problem

One person was killed in a shooting at the&nbsp;University&nbsp;of&nbsp;Utah&nbsp;where students were told to shelter in place after a report of shots fired near the campus on Monday, police said.

The&nbsp;university&nbsp;said on Twitter at about 9 pm&nbsp;local time that shots were fired at Red Butte Canyon, a research area on the east side of the school in Salt Lake City,&nbsp;Utah.

One person was killed, Salt Lake City Police Department said on Twitter.

Authorities were searching for a male suspect identified as Austin Boutain, 24, who was considered armed and dangerous,&nbsp;the department reported.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Suspect in U of U Homicide is Austin Boutain, 24. Considered armed and dangerous. <a href="https://t.co/hL7dZu7D8v">pic.twitter.com/hL7dZu7D8v</a>
&mdash; SLC Police Dept. (@slcpd) <a href="https://twitter.com/slcpd/status/925234230963052544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Infomartion has further been updated by the SLC Police department that the suspect is known to have tattoos on his neck and left arm.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Updated information on suspects tattoos. Now has Tattoo covering the front of his neck. Also tat down his left arm and onto hand.
&mdash; SLC Police Dept. (@slcpd) <a href="https://twitter.com/slcpd/status/925279758983749632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Commuter train services were suspended near the school, local media reported.

Students were told to shelter in place after a report of shots fired near the campus on Monday, police said.

One person was killed in a shooting at the University of Utah where students were told to shelter in place after a report of shots fired near the campus on Monday, police said. The university said on Twitter at about 9 pm local time that shots were fired at Red Butte Canyon, a research area on the east side of the school in Salt Lake City, Utah. One person was killed, Salt Lake City Police Department said on Twitter. Authorities were searching for a male suspect identified as Austin Boutain, 24, who was considered armed and dangerous, the department reported. Suspect in U of U Homicide is Austin Boutain, 24. Considered armed and dangerous. pic.twitter.com/hL7dZu7D8v — SLC Police Dept. (@slcpd) October 31, 2017 × Infomartion has further been updated by the SLC Police department that the suspect is known to have tattoos on his neck and left arm. Updated information on suspects tattoos. Now has Tattoo covering the front of his neck. Also tat down his left arm and onto hand. — SLC Police Dept. (@slcpd) October 31, 2017 × Commuter train services were suspended near the school, local media reported.

One dead at University of Utah shooting, police search for suspect

university-of-utah

University Of Utah, News on University Of Utah, stories on University Of Utah, articles on University Of Utah, University Of Utah stories at Wion, University Of Utah news, University Of Utah latest news

university of-utah

Why advanced bionic hands fail, and how AI is fixing the problem

One dead at University of Utah shooting, police search for suspect