• About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
The VR Soldier
  • Featured
  • News
  • Education
  • Reviews
  • Press Releases
  • Featured
  • News
  • Education
  • Reviews
  • Press Releases
No Result
View All Result
The VR Soldier

Virtual Reality Helps Amputees Get Accustomed to Prosthetic Limbs

JP Buntinx by JP Buntinx
August 21, 2018
in News
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0
TheVRSoldier Prosthetic Limbs VR
Share on TwitterShare on Facebook

Despite being in the early stages of development, virtual reality technology has a lot of potential. Research by EPFL shows virtual reality can help amputees adjust to their prosthetic limbs a lot easier. There is still additional research required to ensure this is a viable mainstream approach, but the initial tests appear to be rather promising.

VR and Prosthetic Limbs

There are many different factors which influence the life of an amputee. One of the most common “problems” is the phantom limb phenomenon. The brain thinks one’s lost limb is still present and tries to send nerve signals to that limb. However, as the limb has been removed – either forcefully or on purpose – it is very difficult for amputees to deal with the new situation.

This also poses problems when a prosthetic limb is introduced to the amputee’s body. There is a cognitive disconnect between the phantom limb and the new “solution”. To accommodate this transition, the EPFL is now exploring virtual reality programs to help amputees get used to their new limb as quickly as possible. Although still in the very early stages of development, the initial response appears to be rather positive and promising.

EPFL’s Giulio Rognini explains the process as follows:

“The brain regularly uses its senses to evaluate what belongs to the body and what is external to the body, We showed exactly how vision and touch can be combined to trick the amputee’s brain into feeling what it sees, inducing embodiment of the prosthetic hand with an additional effect that the phantom limb grows into the prosthetic one.”

This virtual reality venture also allows amputees to learn how to control prosthetic limbs with their mind. By visualizing this experience as it happens, a lot of frustration can be removed from the equation. Virtual reality can help in visualizing progress as it’s being made in real-time. More importantly, this VR setup required for this process is portable can easily be taken to patients residing at home if needed.

If you liked this article make sure to follow us on twitter @thevrsoldier and subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date with the latest VR trends and news.

Tags: VR
Previous Post

Walmart’s Future VR Shopping Experience Includes Touching Objects

Next Post

Google and IMAX Deal a Major Blow to the VR Movie Industry

Next Post
TheVRSoldier IMAX GOogle VR Movies

Google and IMAX Deal a Major Blow to the VR Movie Industry

Web Stories

WLUNA Contract Bridge Spells Trouble for the Terra Luna Community
Top 3 Metaverse Projects to Buy Virtual Real Estate in
Top 3 Pokemon-inspired Metaverse Crypto Coins
Top 5 Metaverse Crypto Coins to Buy in January 2022

Upcoming Crypto Conferences

Jul 29
10:00 am - 3:00 pm

Web3 Delight Lagos

Sep 22
September 22 - September 24

Crypto Gibraltar Festival to Take Place From September 22nd to 24th, 2022

Dec 1
December 1 - December 2

MetaVentures Bangkok

Jan 13
January 13, 2023 - January 15, 2023

World Crypto Conference 2022 for the First Time Held in Zurich, Switzerland

View Calendar

Press Releases

mehracki
Press Releases

Crypto Assets That Are Worth Investing in 2022: Mehracki (MKI), Chainlink (LINK), Stepn (GMT)

by Tony Toreto
July 4, 2022

The cryptocurrency industry is currently valued at over one trillion dollars. With the exponential growth in the popularity of digital...

Read more
crypto conference in gibraltar

Crypto Gibraltar Festival to Take Place From September 22nd to 24th, 2022

July 3, 2022
Can Cat Coin Big Eyes (BIG) Compete With the Established Blockchains Uniswap (UNIT) And Polkadot (DOT)?

Who is Big Eyes (BIG)? The Cat Daring to Take On Dogecoin (DOGE)

July 3, 2022
Can Cat Coin Big Eyes (BIG) Compete With the Established Blockchains Uniswap (UNIT) And Polkadot (DOT)?

Can Cat Coin Big Eyes (BIG) Compete With the Established Blockchains Uniswap (UNIT) And Polkadot (DOT)?

July 2, 2022
emerging NFT marketplaces

Three Emerging NFT Marketplaces You Do Not Want to Miss: Binance (BNB), Big Eyes (BIG), and Solana (SOL)

July 1, 2022
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions

© 2022 The VR Soldier

No Result
View All Result
  • Featured
  • News
  • Education
  • Reviews
  • Press Releases

© 2022 The VR Soldier

WLUNA Contract Bridge Spells Trouble for the Terra Luna Community Top 3 Metaverse Projects to Buy Virtual Real Estate in Top 3 Pokemon-inspired Metaverse Crypto Coins Top 5 Metaverse Crypto Coins to Buy in January 2022