A modular strategy for next-generation upper-limb sensory-motor neuroprostheses

Neuroprosthetics is a discipline that aims at restoring lost functions to people affected by a variety of neurological disorders or neurotraumatic lesions. It combines the expertise of computer science and electrical, mechanical, and micro/nanotechnology with cellular, molecular, and systems neuroscience. Rapid breakthroughs in the field during the past decade have brought the hope that neuroprostheses can soon become a clinical reality, in particular—as we will detail in this review—for the restoration of hand functions. We argue that any neuroprosthesis relies on a set of hardware and algorithmic building elements that we call the neurotechnological modules (NTs) used for motor decoding, movement restoration, or sensory feedback. We will show how the modular approach is already present in current neuroprosthetic solutions and how we can further exploit it to imagine the next generation of neuroprosthetics for sensory-motor restoration.