CybaNorth Team awarded €25k Gratema Grant

We are happy to announce that the CybaNorth student team, supported by Dr. Elisabeth Wilhelm of the Engineering and Technology institute Groningen (ENTEG), has been awarded a €25,000 Gratema Grant. This funding will support their innovative project aimed at improving prosthetic hand functionality for the people who rely on prosthetic limbs.

Despite the long history of prosthetic limbs, current prosthetic hands still lack many essential features. Most can perform only one or two grasping motions and require the use of the other hand to switch grips. Additionally, the lack of tactile feedback forces users to constantly monitor their actions, leading to slower and more concentrated movements. Extensive practice is required to master the use of prosthetics, and even then, users may not be able to utilize all the designed functions.

The CybaNorth student team seeks to change this. They collaborated with a prosthetic arm user and will participate in the upcoming Cybathlon Competition. The team developed an intelligent solution using artificial intelligence and sensors to detect objects being grasped and communicate this information to the user via vibration motors.

This interdisciplinary project involves students from the University of Groningen, the University Medical Center Groningen, and the Hanze University of Applied Sciences, working together like a professional team. By merging expertise from various fields and maintaining constant user interaction, they identify and address limitations that experts might overlook, thus inspiring new research avenues.

Previously, the team relied on university laboratories for tools and materials. With the Gratema Foundation's funding, they aim to establish their own small laboratory. This will not only enrich research and education with fresh ideas but, most importantly, enhance the lives of prosthetic users.

We congratulate Dr. Wilhelm and the CybaNorth team on this significant achievement and look forward to the impactful advancements they will bring to prosthetic technology.