As for that hand, I wonder how they're going to transmit the right neurosignals for the right sense or is the brain going to adapt? Did they sew the nerves or something? Amazing.
The brain is capable of a fascinating ability known as
neuroplasticity, which can occur for a multitude of reasons--basically, the brain can, over time, create new channels for both input and output signals. There is a paper published in 2009 (
abstract) that suggests neuroplasticity can compensate for bionic signals on amputees in bidirectional communication, that is for both movement of the hand and some sort of feedback from it.
I would think they would anticipate that the brain can eventually learn to interpret these signals, though I imagine the real test will be just
how these signals are interpreted--as far as I can recall, there hasn't been studies with artificial tactile sensors hooked to a nervous system so it will be interesting to see the results. My money's on the idea that the brain will eventually trick itself into thinking the touch from the bionic hand is the same as the organic equivalent, even if the impulses are different.
