Hand Proprioception | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The Hand Proprioception (HAPTIX) opportunity, issued by DARPA's Biological Technologies Office under Funding Opportunity Number DARPA BAA 14-30, is a research and development program aimed at making advanced upper-limb prostheses feel and operate far more like natural human limbs. The core goal is true "closed-loop" control for dexterous mechatronic prosthetic hands and arms, meaning the user would not only command movements through their own intent, but also receive meaningful sensory information back from the prosthesis. In practical terms, the program is trying to move beyond prosthetics that are mainly open-loop tools and toward systems that restore a more natural sense of touch and position, allowing amputees to use a prosthetic limb with greater precision, confidence, and ease in everyday life.

The technical focus centers on three tightly connected components. First, HAPTIX emphasizes implantable peripheral nerve interfaces that can record volitional motor signals (the user's intent to move) and deliver sensory feedback (signals that create sensations such as touch and proprioception). These interfaces are intended to sit in or near the peripheral nervous system and serve as a long-term, stable bridge between human neural signals and machine actuation. Second, the program seeks implantable electronic systems that can reliably transfer information between the implanted interfaces and the external prosthetic device. This includes the hardware needed to move neural data out to the prosthesis for control, and to deliver stimulation patterns back into the body for sensation, with strong attention to reliability, safety, and practical use outside a lab setting. Third, the program calls for sophisticated encoding and decoding algorithms: decoding algorithms translate recorded motor signals into multi-degree-of-freedom limb movements, while encoding algorithms translate sensor measurements from the prosthesis into patterned electrical stimulation intended to produce naturalistic tactile and proprioceptive experiences. The emphasis on "naturalistic" sensation highlights that the objective is not just any feedback, but feedback that the user can interpret intuitively, in a way that supports fine motor control.

A distinguishing feature of this opportunity is its insistence on real-world validation, not just demonstrations in controlled environments. System performance and user benefit are planned to be evaluated through a year-long, take-home trial conducted before the program concludes. That requirement signals that DARPA is looking for integrated, user-ready systems capable of sustained operation in daily life, including the durability, usability, and functional utility needed outside the clinic. The outcome DARPA is driving toward is a prosthetic limb system that helps an amputee perform more complex tasks with less visual compensation, better grasp modulation, improved object manipulation, and a stronger feeling that the limb is part of their own body schema.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity falls under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category and is associated with CFDA 12.910 (Research and Technology Development). The solicitation allows multiple funding instrument types, including cooperative agreements, grants, other procurement contracts, and similar mechanisms, and it does not require cost sharing or matching. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning it is broadly open to a wide range of entity types, subject to any specific limits or clarifications contained in the full announcement text. The opportunity was posted April 24, 2014, created April 30, 2014, and had an original and current closing date of September 10, 2014, with an archive date of November 10, 2014. For full requirements, evaluation criteria, and submission instructions, applicants were directed to consult the attached DARPA BAA 14-30 announcement; those unable to access the electronic posting were instructed to contact the BAA Coordinator.

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