Are we getting close to bionic limbs?
Published: 05:16PM BST 23 Aug 2010
Recently, though, a US laboratory announced revolutionary prosthetic limbs that look real and which will be controlled by the brain.
Previously, those who lost a limb were given a 'hook and cable' device that didn't actually look or act much like an arm at all.
However, advances in technology, and the work being done in America is set to change the way we view prosthetics.
Engineers are reaching the final stages of a four-year mission to build the most ambitious prosthetic arm yet – not only does it look human, but it's also controlled by the mind. It's being hailed 'a truly revolutionary advancement in prosthetics'.
The Modular Prosthetic Limb (MPL) is similar in strength and dexterity to a human arm and can curl 50lbs.
When a person loses a limb, the human brain continues to send signals to nerves when it wants to move, say, an arm or a leg, and the engineers want to use those nerves to operate the MPL. Currently with amputees, the brain sends a signal, but there's nowhere for it to go.
Researchers say they're able to intercept those signals, interpret what the person is trying to do, and make the arm respond.
The new MPL offers 22 degrees of motion, including independent movement of each finger, in a package that weighs about nine pounds, the weight of a natural limb. It offers nearly as much dexterity as a natural limb and is capable of unprecedented mechanical agility.
As well as developing the MPL, the team is looking to target quadriplegics and start testing with a high spinal cord injury patient within the next year.
Technology for amputees is continuing to develop rapidly. Careful consideration should be given to the type of prosthetic equipment available to people who lose limbs in road traffic accidents.
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