By Brianna Silva

Researchers at MIT are seeking FDA approval to test new technology in people with prosthetic limbs, which could make them easier to control.

Researchers said they implanted small magnets in animals to track how their muscles contract or lengthen based on movements. The team also demonstrated the accuracy and safety of their new strategy called magnetomicrometry, which appeared in a new pair of papers.

“These recent results demonstrate that this tool can be used outside the lab to track muscle movement during natural activity, and they also suggest that the magnetic implants are stable and biocompatible and that they don’t cause discomfort,” said Cameron Taylor, an MIT research scientist and the co-lead author of both papers.