Biomechatronics facts for kids

Biomechatronics is a cool science that mixes biology (the study of living things) with mechatronics. Mechatronics combines electrical, electronics, and mechanical engineering. It also includes parts of robotics and neuroscience (the study of the brain and nerves).

Biomechatronic devices are used for many things. They help create prosthetic limbs (like artificial arms or legs). They also offer engineering solutions for breathing, seeing, and how your heart and blood system work.

How Biomechatronics Works

Biomechatronics tries to copy how the human body moves and works. Let's look at how you lift your foot to walk, for example.

First, your brain sends signals, called impulses, to the muscles in your foot and leg. These signals tell your muscles what to do.

Next, tiny nerve cells in your feet send information back to your brain. This feedback helps your brain figure out how much force your muscles need to use. The amount of force changes depending on the ground you are walking on.

Then, special muscle spindle nerve cells in your leg feel the position of the floor. They send this information back to your brain.

Finally, when you lift your foot to take a step, more signals go to your leg and foot muscles. These signals help you place your foot down smoothly.

Biosensors: What You Want to Do

Biosensors are like tiny detectives. They figure out what a person wants to do, their intentions, and their movements. Sometimes, these sensors get information directly from a person's nervous system or muscle system.

This information from the biosensor goes to a controller. The controller is like the brain of the biomechatronic device. It can be inside or outside the device. Biosensors also get details about the position and force of the limb from the limb itself and the actuator (the part that makes movement).

Biosensors come in different forms. They can be wires that sense electrical activity. Some are needle electrodes placed in muscles. Others are electrode arrays where nerves can grow through them.

Mechanical Sensors: Device Information

Mechanical sensors measure things about the biomechatronic device itself. They send this information to the biosensor or the controller.

Controller: The Device's Brain

The controller in a biomechatronic device acts like a translator. It takes the user's intentions and tells the actuators what to do. It also understands the feedback information coming from the biosensors and mechanical sensors. Another important job of the controller is to manage all the movements of the biomechatronic device.

Actuator: The Artificial Muscle

The actuator is like an artificial muscle. Its main job is to create force and movement. If the device is orthotic (helps a body part) or prosthetic (replaces a body part), the actuator might be a motor. This motor helps or even replaces the user's original muscle.

Research in Biomechatronics

Biomechatronics is a fast-growing field. However, only a few labs currently do research in this area. Some of the leading research places include the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, University of California at Berkeley, MIT, Stanford University, and the University of Twente in the Netherlands.

Current research focuses on three main areas:

• Studying complex human motions to help design better biomechatronic devices.
• Learning how electronic devices can connect with the nervous system.
• Testing ways to use real muscle tissue as actuators for electronic devices.

Analyzing Human Motions

Understanding human movement is very complex. A lot of study is needed to analyze it well. MIT and the University of Twente are both working on this. They use computer models, camera systems, and electromyograms (which measure muscle electrical activity) to study these movements.

Interfacing: Connecting Devices to You

Interfacing means connecting biomechatronic devices to a person's muscles and nerves. This allows the device to send and receive information from the user. This special technology is not found in regular orthotics and prosthetics.

Groups at the University of Twente and University of Malaya are making big progress here. They have created a device to help people with paralysis or those who have had a stroke. This device helps them control their foot while walking. Researchers are also close to a breakthrough that would let someone with an amputated leg control their prosthetic leg using their remaining stump muscles.

MIT Research: Hugh Herr's Work

Hugh Herr is a top biomechatronic scientist at MIT. He and his team are creating special electrodes and prosthetic devices. These devices are getting closer to moving like real human body parts. They are working on two prosthetic devices. One will control knee movement, and the other will control how stiff an ankle joint is.

Robotic Fish with Real Muscle

Herr and his colleagues once built a robotic fish. This fish moved using real muscle tissue taken from frog legs! It was a test model for a biomechatronic device that used a living actuator.

Here are some features of that robotic fish:

• It had a styrofoam float so it could float.
• Electrical wires connected its parts.
• A silicone tail helped it swim by creating force.
• Lithium batteries gave it power.
• A microcontroller controlled its movements.
• An infrared sensor allowed the microcontroller to talk to a handheld device.
• An electronic unit stimulated its muscles.

Growth and Challenges

The demand for biomechatronic devices is very high and keeps growing. Thanks to new technology, researchers can now build prosthetic limbs that work much like real human limbs.

Examples include the "i-limb" from Touch Bionics. It was the first fully working prosthetic hand with moving joints. Another is Herr's PowerFoot BiOM. This was the first prosthetic leg that could copy how muscles and tendons work in the human body. Biomechatronic research has also helped us understand human body functions better. For instance, researchers have made an exoskeleton that helps people walk using about 7% less energy.

Many biomechatronic researchers work closely with military groups. The US Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense give money to labs. This helps them create devices for soldiers and war veterans.

Even with high demand, biomechatronic technologies face challenges in healthcare. They are often very expensive. Also, insurance policies don't always cover them. Hugh Herr believes that Medicare and Medicaid are very important for these technologies to become widely available. He says these technologies won't be for everyone until they get a big breakthrough.

Biomechatronic devices have improved, but they still have mechanical problems. They need better battery power and more reliable parts. Also, making strong neural connections between prosthetics and the human body is still a challenge.

See also

In Spanish: Biomecatrónica para niños