New Digital Human Model Can Help Develop Better Prosthetics
Artificial intelligence (AI) can now create digital human models that mimic complex movements. This is what MyoSuite, an open-source framework, can do. And the goal for the program is to help experts develop better prosthetic limbs. MyoSuite is developed by researchers at Meta’s Artificial Intelligence Research Lab and the University of Twente’s Neuromechanical Modelling and Engineering Lab in the Netherlands.
MyoSuite’s AI-powered digital models can build realistic musculoskeletal simulations up to 4,000 times faster than current prosthetics. And according to the researchers, they can train the digital models to perform complex motor movements, such as rotating an arm or twirling a pen.
Besides modeling complex human movement to help develop better prosthetic limbs, MyoSuite has the potential to be used for new surgery techniques or for designing new physical therapy treatments.
According to one of the researchers, Professor Massimo Sartori, MyoSuite would give experts the ability to predict the outcome of a robotic therapy, which gives the researchers a chance to optimize the treatment for a patient. With MyoSuite, each patient could get a personalized and cost-effective treatment.
MyoSuite could also be trained to interact with assistive robots such as exoskeletons, simulating conditions like tendon tear, muscle fatigue, tendon reaffirmation, and muscle sarcopenia. Those robots could then be trained to restore movement following impairment.
Meta plans to make MyoSuite open source to support other researchers in this field. Besides Meta, Intel has also developed a ‘neuromorphic’ deep-learning chip that could reportedly make prosthetic limbs better. However, when it comes to the metaverse, MyoSuite has the capability of integrating with programs like Horizon Worlds to develop more realistic avatars.
What do you think of this new development?
