Novel control strategies for upper limb prosthetics

Robotic manipulators can be controlled in an autonomous way with great precision and dexterity. At the same time they can be equipped with sensors capable of conveying highly precise information on the surroundings, many times superior to that of a human sensory system. However, our limited capacity of interfacing these robots with the human body makes current prosthetic systems to be perceived by the users as simple tools rather than limbs. After decades of developments, osseointegration, selective nerve transfers, and nerve electrodes for sensory feedback have all been clinically tested in humans and are opening a new gateway for implementation of novel control strategies. Here, an overview of the most promising myocontrol and myoelectric signal processing technics to pave the way to longer-term visions of true limb replacement are presented.