Category: Media

NeuroRobotics Lab Partners with Meta to Advance Accessible Wearable Technology for People with Limited Hand Mobility

The Utah NeuroRobotics Lab, led by Dr. Jacob A. George, has launched a new research collaboration with Meta to evaluate how consumer-grade wrist wearables can make human-computer interaction more accessible for people with varying levels of hand mobility. Building on previous research that demonstrated how surface electromyography (EMG) signals remain viable for control even with reduced signal-to-noise ratios, Dr. George’s team will now assess Meta Neural Band technology with end users who have neuromuscular conditions. The research will examine how EMG-based gesture controls can enable individuals to operate computers, smart home devices, and potentially recreational mobility equipment like the University of Utah’s TetraSki. This collaboration emphasizes co-design with end users to ensure the technology meets diverse needs and can be customized for people with conditions such as muscular dystrophy, stroke, spinal cord injury, ALS, and limb loss.

Learn More: Read the full article on Meta’s blog: A Look at the University of Utah’s Accessibility Research Using Meta Neural Band

Nature Communications paper hits major global impact milestone

Congratulations to Marshall Trout and co-authors Fredi, Connor Olsen, Taylor Hansen, and David J. Warren on their recent publication in Nature Communications.

The paper has already received significant global visibility, including:

  • Altmetric score: 813 (99th percentile; top 5% of all research outputs tracked)

  • 143 unique news stories, syndicated across 500+ outlets

  • Estimated reach of 406,729 unique viewers

Read the Altmetric report: Click Here
Paper: Shared human-machine control of an intelligent bionic hand improves grasping and decreases cognitive burden for transradial amputees

New Nature Communications paper highlights smarter, more intuitive bionic-hand control

A University of Utah team led by Marshall Trout and Jacob A. George published a new paper in Nature Communications demonstrating shared human–machine control for a commercial bionic hand. By integrating proximity + pressure sensing and using AI to help each finger “find” contact automatically, users can maintain control while the hand handles the fine-grain adjustments—resulting in more secure, more precise grasps with lower cognitive burden.

Read the paper

As of Jan 13, 2026, the paper has an Altmetric attention score of 814.

BIOS Honored in Utah Business Innovation Awards

Biologic Input Output Systems (BIOS), a startup spun out of the Utah NeuroRobotics Lab, has been recognized as an Emerging Company in the Healthcare & Life Sciences category of the Utah Business Innovation Awards. The company’s Universal Neural Interface builds intuitive connections between the brain and advanced robotics to help people with limb loss regain natural movement and sensation, translating decades of University of Utah research into real-world impact. Read more about BIOS and the three University of Utah startups honored in this year’s awards here. 

BioHive Features BIOS–U of U Collaboration on Bionic Sensation

BioHive recently highlighted Jacob A. George, Chief Scientist at Biologic Input Output Systems (BIOS), discussing how their Universal Neural Interface is helping people with limb loss regain both movement and real, emotional sensation—often for the first time in decades. In a recent LinkedIn post featuring a video interview, BioHive showcases how BIOS is working with the University of Utah and the NeuroRobotics Lab to engineer advanced prosthetic limbs that reconnect patients with the world around them.

AI & Bionics: Utah NeuroRobotics Lab Featured in U of U AI Story

The University of Utah’s Office of Artificial Intelligence recently highlighted the Utah NeuroRobotics Lab for its groundbreaking work using AI to design bionic devices that restore movement and sensation for people with neuromuscular impairments. Led by Solzbacher-Chen Endowed Professor Jacob A. George, the lab bridges engineering, medicine, and advanced AI to create prosthetic and assistive technologies that improve independence and quality of life. Read the full feature here.

Spotlight on Fredi Mino: Inspiring the Next Generation of Bioengineers

Our lab is excited to share that Fredi is featured in a new online educational module created for middle school students through University of Utah Health and the Genetic Science Learning Center.

The module introduces students to bioengineering through the lens of prosthetics, and our team partnered with the Genetic Science Learning Center to help shape the content. As part of the project, Fredi appears in several videos, guiding viewers through the lab and talking about his path in engineering and prosthetics research.

The series also includes extensive b-roll footage from the Craig H. Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH) shared spaces and highlights many of the researchers who work there, giving students an inside look at what it’s like to work in a modern rehabilitation and bioengineering environment.

You can explore the module here:
Bioengineering & Prosthetics – Working in a Lab
https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/careers/lab/

Our Work Featured in KSL Documentary A Higher Purpose

We’re honored to share that our lab’s work was recently featured in the KSL TV documentary “A Higher Purpose,” which highlights how Utah’s universities are tackling some of the world’s most pressing challenges through research, innovation, and service.

The documentary explores projects across the state that are improving lives both locally and globally — from advancing public health and pioneering new technologies to promoting social equity and protecting the environment. Among these transformative efforts is our lab’s contribution to the development of the LUKE arm, a next-generation prosthetic designed to restore natural movement and sensation to individuals with limb loss.

Our team’s work on neural interfaces and human-machine integration is a key part of this groundbreaking technology. By connecting the human nervous system directly to advanced prosthetic systems, we aim to make devices that move and feel like a biological limb — helping users regain not just function, but independence and quality of life.

We’re proud to stand alongside other innovators in Utah’s academic community working toward a higher purpose: using science and technology to improve the human condition.

A Higher Purpose