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Make Me Bionic

Ethan Fletcher / May 12, 2025
Health
A recap and follow-up on "Make Me Bionic", one of the eleven topics covered in our 2023 Future of Health Report.

Summary

Bioelectronic tech and bioengineered stem cells are redefining what’s possible in prosthetics and organ enhancement and regeneration. Advancements in AI and 3-D printing are making prosthetics increasingly affordable, intelligent, and effective. From surgically-implanted devices to restore sight to regrowing a knee, the coming years will see a jump in progress that will improve the quality of life for those with health issues.

FUTUREOF.ORG

Objects in the Future May Be Closer Than They Appear:

These advancements are accelerating rapidly. Below are a few to keep an eye on:

Sensing:

  • A team of researchers from four universities (University of Chicago, the University of Pittsburgh, Northwestern University and Case Western Reserve University) along with Blackrock Neurotech is advancing brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) that restore both motor control and sensation for individuals with limb loss. By stimulating the brain’s motor and sensory areas with electrical pulses, users can feel pressure and texture through their prosthetics. The team recently published two studies detailing their progress. The first study focused on the accuracy and strength of electrically-evoked touch sensations and their practicality for everyday tasks. The results confirmed that the stimulated electrodes created consistent sensations corresponding to specific locations on the prosthetic hand. This consistency will hopefully allow users to become as comfortable with their prosthetics as they would be with their natural limbs.
  • The second study tested whether the sensation of movement along the skin could be achieved. The team activated clusters of electrodes with overlapping “touch zones” in carefully orchestrated patterns, generating smooth, gliding sensations across the sensory map. Participants reported feeling these sensations distinctly and were also able to identify complex shapes sensed entirely by touch. The group is currently working with obstetricians at the University of Chicago to create an implantable device that can restore the sense of touch after mastectomy.

UCHICAGO MEDICINE

Prosthetic Control:

  • Researchers from MIT and Brigham and Women’s Hospital are making progress on bionic prosthetics that can be controlled by an amputee’s own nervous system. The surgical procedure known as the agonist-antagonist myoneural interface (AMI), reconnects muscles in the residual limb, enabling patients to receive “proprioceptive” feedback allowing them to sense the position of their prosthetic limb in physical space.
  • In a recent study, the team evaluated the performance of two groups of seven people using the same type of bionic limb. One group had undergone AMI surgery, while the other had traditional below-the-knee amputations. Those with the AMI surgery demonstrated a more natural walking pattern, climbed stairs and maneuvered through obstacles faster, similar to someone without an amputation. This is the first study to show such success with a prosthetic under full neural modulation. The surgery can also be performed on people with arm amputations, and so far, around 60 patients have received it.

The New Yorker

Forces of Change

We’ve identified over 200 technological and social currents we see shaping the future. Forces of Change are significant drivers in the food, sports, and healthcare industries.

See all Forces of Change

bioelectronic-medicine-2
Bioelectronic Medicine

Implanting microchips that stimulate the nervous system with current, whether to bypass failed motor neurons or to trigger the natural drugs the body needs to heal itself.

artificial-intelligence
Artificial Intelligence

Steep advances in computational learning will be brought to bear on everything from workout routines to personalized diet recommendations.

stem-cell-reactivation
Stem Cell Reactivation

Rather than injecting new stem cells, these methods hack the signaling that causes our existing stem cells to slow down with age. The effect is to wake up our aged stem cells to function like young stem cells, repairing and regenerating the body.

sensors
Sensors

Digitizing everything from livestock health to personal fitness to biological responses to certain ingredients, sensors are bringing real-time transparency and intelligence to every industry.

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