8 Incredible Medical Breakthroughs That Are Right Around The Corner

Prosthetic technology has become super accelerated over the past decade or so, with some truly incredible breakthroughs seemingly coming one after the other.

First we had improved stability and flexibility, allowing patients to walk practically normally, then we saw the dawn of an age in which prosthetic limbs actually outperform real ones, leading to the creation of new restrictions for their use in competitive sport. Then, in a truly futuristic turn of events, we began to see prosthetic limbs that can be linked directly with the brain, allowing the user to controlled them with just their mind.

Incredible stuff, and we're not done yet.

Scientists have now managed to create a number of highly sensitive artificial skins that can, get this, feel. 

Through the use of a microscopic 3D array, this "smart skin" accurately imitates the sense of touch. This could be the final frontier in prosthetics, allowing them to become more and more indistinguishable from the real thing.

The artificial skin has a sensitivity comparable to that of the human fingertips and is up to three times better than any previous attempts. sensitivity in prosthetics is just as important as fine motor function as it allows the user to detect the amount of pressure they are applying, for example when handling delicate objects, as well as restoring the sensation of touch that we take for granted.

One of the major hurdles that we have to overcome now is exactly how we're going to wire the damn thing up to one of the most complex computers in existence - the human brain. As the brain is still such a mystery to scientists, it's not quite as simple as plugging it in, but with this kind of tech on the cards, we're definitely on our way there.