Modern materials and designs have prompted major advancements in prosthetic legs to the point where athletes equipped with them may have an advantage over runners with biological legs. The development of prosthetic arms and hands has lagged, however – most people who use prosthetic arms use a simple hook design, which is very primitive. Mechanical hands are especially difficult given hand’s complicated design and its versatility:
Conventional prosthetic arms are little more than sophisticated hooks that offer very little freedom of movement. They offer just three degrees of freedom: opening and closing the hand, rotating the hand inwards and outwards, and bending and extending the elbow. And going through those motions requires concentration and a level of skill that can be rather exhausting.
Advanced prosthetic arms promise a lot more. While not a perfect replacement for a human limb, the idea is to offer almost the same level of flexibility, dexterity and feedback that the hand can.
Wired has a picture gallery of some of the most advanced bionic arms currently in development, including Dean Kamen’s Luke Arm from Deka (pictured above). The arm provides tactile feedback via a small motor that “vibrates against a user’s skin.” Other arms that are featured include individually powered fingers, neural interfaces, the ability to “feel” different textures and and weight, and more.