Helping prosthetic hands feel like your own
Investigation of Embodiment for Upper Limb Amputees
This project uses nerve-connected feedback to give people with upper limb amputations sensations of touch and position in their prosthetic hands.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Aurora, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-10775800 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, you'll be asked about your experience with different kinds of prosthetic hands and take part in tests that measure how much the device feels like part of your body. The team is developing and refining implants and nerve-stimulation devices that send touch and position signals from a prosthesis into peripheral nerves. Researchers will use established sensation tests and a modified Rubber Hand Illusion protocol to compare conventional prostheses with nerve-feedback devices. The work combines collecting normal-use data, building better devices, and measuring how those devices change the feeling of embodiment.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults with upper limb amputations who use or are open to using implanted or externally connected prosthetic systems and can travel to the study site.
Not a fit: People without upper limb amputations or those unwilling/unable to undergo implant procedures or clinic visits are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could make prosthetic hands feel more natural and easier to use by restoring touch and position sensations.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has shown peripheral nerve stimulation can recreate tactile percepts and improve device use, but long-term embodiment and comparisons across prosthesis types remain actively studied.
Where this research is happening
Aurora, UNITED STATES
- VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System — Aurora, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Segil, Jacob — VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System
- Study coordinator: Segil, Jacob
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.