HAPTIX

Hand Proprioception and Touch Interfaces pursued implantable peripheral-nerve interfaces that provide intuitive motor control and sensory feedback for upper-limb prostheses. The program combined neural-interface development, prosthetic hardware, signal processing, and clinical testing. Its objective was to make prosthetic hands feel and respond more like biological limbs by carrying both motor commands and sensory information. The work addressed interface stability, electrode design, encoding of touch and proprioception, and practical integration with advanced prosthetic hands. Although the DARPA program is complete, its results remain foundational for bidirectional limb neuroprosthetics and translational research.

The completed research program funded multidisciplinary performers developing safe, reliable neural interfaces, prosthetic hardware, algorithms, and clinical evaluation methods.

The program advanced bidirectional control and naturalistic touch feedback for upper-limb neuroprostheses, along with enabling interface and testing technologies.