Skip to main content

DARPA prosthetic hand restores sense of touch to paralyzed man

DARPA’s Revolutionizing Prosthetics program is breaking new ground with a prosthetic hand that provides a sense of touch to the person who is wearing it. This research builds upon an earlier experiment in which a volunteer with paralysis was able to control a prosthetic hand using only his thoughts. After its success with movement, the researchers wanted to add touch to the artificial hand, making it possible for those with paralysis to perform precise movements that require both movement and touch feedback.

In its most recent experiment, researchers placed a series of electrode arrays onto both the sensory cortex and the motor cortex of a volunteer’s brain. The sensory cortex is the region of the brain responsible for sensing touch while the motor cortex manages the movement. This direct motor cortex connection was used by a volunteer to control a prosthetic hand with his thoughts in an earlier, groundbreaking DARPA experiment.

Recommended Videos

Using the knowledge gleaned from their motor cortex work, DARPA scientists wired the sensory connection in the volunteer’s brain to torque sensors in the artificial hand. These hand sensors translated the physical touch of an object to electrical signals that the brain can read. The connection and translation process allowed a 28-year-old volunteer, who was paralyzed following a spinal injury, to sense touch. The volunteer reported feeling a near natural sensation “as if his own hand were being touched.”

The sense of touch was very noticeable to the volunteer, who was able to report with near 100 percent accuracy which finger on the prosthetic hand was being touched. The researchers even tried to fool the volunteer by touching two fingers without telling him and he responded by asking”whether somebody was trying to play a trick on him.”

Neurotechnology advances won’t eliminate paralysis, however, the scientists at DARPA hope the knowledge gained from the Revolutionizing Prosthetics program will provide a tangible benefit for those living with paralysis. DARPA presented its initial findings on its touch prosthetic hand at the recent Wait, What? A Future Technology Forum with a detailed report to be released following peer review and publication in a scientific journal.

Kelly Hodgkins
Kelly's been writing online for ten years, working at Gizmodo, TUAW, and BGR among others. Living near the White Mountains of…
Sebastian Stan lays out Bucky’s future after Thunderbolts
Sebastian Stan in Thunderbolts.

There are some spoilers ahead for the ending of Marvel's Thunderbolts. Stop reading now if you don't want to be spoiled.

Earlier this year, Captain America: Brave New World briefly introduced a new direction for James "Bucky" Barnes, a character Sebastian Stan has been playing since 2011 in Captain America: The First Avenger. In Brave New World, the former Winter Soldier apparently retired from being a reformed hero and went into politics by running for Congress. Thunderbolts reveals that Bucky won his election to the House of Representatives. But his stay in Congress was short.

Read more
Jeep Compass EV breaks cover—but will it come to the U.S.?
jeep compass ev us newjeepcompassfirsteditionhawaii  4

Jeep just pulled the wraps off the all-new Compass EV, and while it’s an exciting leap into the electric future, there's a catch—it might not make it to the U.S. anytime soon.
This is a brand new electric version of the Jeep Compass, and being built on Stellantis' STLA platform—the same architecture underpinning models like the Peugeot E-3008 and E-5008—it looks much slicker and packs a lot more inside than previous versions of the Compass.
Let’s start with what’s cool: the new Compass EV is packing up to 404 miles of range on a single charge, a 74 kWh battery, and fast-charging that gets you from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Not bad for a compact SUV with Jeep's badge on the nose.
There are two versions: a front-wheel-drive model with 213 horsepower and a beefier all-wheel-drive version with 375 horsepower. That AWD setup isn’t just for looks—it can handle 20% inclines even without front traction, and comes with extra ground clearance and better off-road angles. In short, it’s still a Jeep.
The design's been refreshed too, and inside you’ll find the kind of tech and comfort you’d expect in a modern EV—sleek, smart, and ready for both city streets and dirt trails.
But here’s the thing: even though production starts soon in Italy, Jeep hasn’t said whether the Compass EV is coming to America. And the signs aren’t promising.
Plans to build it in Canada were recently put on hold, with production now delayed until at least early 2026. Some of that might have to do with possible U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican vehicles—adding a layer of uncertainty to the whole rollout.
According to Kelley Blue Book, a Stellantis spokesperson confirmed that the company has “temporarily paused work on the next-generation Jeep Compass, including activities at” the Canadian plant that was originally meant to build the model. They added that Stellantis is “reassessing its product strategy in North America” to better match customer needs and demand for different powertrain options.
So while Europe and other markets are gearing up to get the Compass EV soon, American drivers might be left waiting—or miss out entirely.
That’s a shame, because on paper, this electric Jeep hits a lot of sweet spots. Let’s just hope it finds a way over here.

Read more
Charlie Cox singles out his least favorite Daredevil: Born Again episode
Charlie Cox in Daredevil: Born Again.

Daredevil: Born Again season 1 was largely reconceived after the 2023 actor and writer strikes. Dario Scardapane -- a veteran of The Punisher series on Netflix -- was brought in to be the new showrunner and he made a lot of changes to the series that were well-received. However, there's one episode that Scardapane didn't really change at all, and it happens to be the least favorite episode of Daredevil: Born Again's leading man, Charlie Cox.

During an appearance on The Playlist, Cox noted that he wasn't very fond of the season's fifth episode, "With Interest," which was a largely standalone episode that featured his character, Matt Murdock, in a bank during a hostage crisis.

Read more