When Luke Skywalker famously got his hand lopped off, it wasn't a big deal because the Jedi simply got a prosthetic hand and continued swinging his lightsaber like usual.
While such advanced prosthetics are common in science fiction, they're still a dream in the real world. But breakthroughs are happening and researchers have even figured out how to make prosthetic hands that can sense temperatures. This could help amputees enjoy better-functioning and more useful replacement limbs.
Researchers were recently able to place sensors on the fingertips of prosthetic limbs. The sensors can not only sense hot and cold, but can deliver that information to the nerves in residual limbs. The human brain can interpret these signals and basically thinks that the limb is still there, allowing amputees to actually feel hot and cold temperatures.
Interestingly enough, the sensor system, called MiniTouch, was largely assembled with off-the-shelf electronic components. It's even possible to install the heat sensing systems in current out-of-the-box prosthetics. Don't be surprised if in the future researchers make more advanced, custom models, but even the early results are promising. The Brainy Insights reports that the current global prosthetics market is worth more than $8 billion. Advanced breakthroughs and more advanced tech might push that value higher in the years ahead.
How might sensors benefit patients? The future will likely yield many applications, but early patients have mentioned using them to cook. Researchers believe that improving sensory abilities will lead to prosthetic limbs that are more useful and function more like biological limbs.
