Sensory substitution in prosthetics.

Use of arm and hand prostheses may be essential for many amputees to facilitate activities of daily life and interaction with society. A major drawback that reduces the use of prostheses, however, is the lack of sensibility. Current strategies for sensory feedback in commercially available prostheses are based on force and slip sensors in the mechanical hand for independent grasp control in an opening and closing function. Developing principles for providing conscious sensibility is discussed, including new techniques where hearing is used as substitution for sensation based on sense substitution.