Electronic “Skin” Brings Sense of Touch and Pain to Prosthetic Hands

Amputees often experience the sensation of a “phantom limb” — a feeling that a missing body part is still there. Pain, while unpleasant, is an essential, protective sense of touch that is lacking in the prostheses that are currently available to amputees. Advances in prosthesis designs and control mechanisms can aid an amputee’s ability to regain lost function, but they often lack meaningful, tactile feedback or perception.