ai prosthetic hand

Atom Limbs uses advanced sensors and machine learning – where computers train themselves to become more accurate – to interpret electrical signals from a person’s brain and use them to move and manipulate a prosthetic limb.

The arm has a full range of human motion in the elbow, wrist, and individual fingers – and it provides haptic feedback to the wearer on their grip strength.

The arm attaches via a strengthened sportswear-style vest which distributes the weight of the arm evenly. Although it still has some weight to it, it is considerably lighter than other bionic arms I’ve seen.

It’s non-invasive, meaning it doesn’t need any surgery or implants to function. It connects to the wearer’s residual limb firstly with bands of sensors that measure electrical signals, and then via a cup that fits over the top, with the arm connecting via an interface.

Despite avoiding upper-arm prosthetics before, when Atom Limbs said I could have a try at operating a digital version of the arm on a computer screen, via their control software, I was interested enough to say yes.

I do have residual muscles in my arm that I was able to “assign” to corresponding hand, wrist and elbow movements, which proved to be a unique, mind-boggling experience.

The notion of learning how to control a part of the body I don’t have is almost impossible to describe.

However, exciting though this technology is, one issue that is always of concern to disabled people when new products come into being is cost.

The assistive devices landscape is littered with products that, while impressive, can cost many times an average yearly salary. That puts most devices out of reach for many disabled people who statistics show are more likely to be among the poorest in society.