New Bionic Hands Work Even When Detached

The company Open Bionics has debuted a new kind of prosthetic hand that not only has a wider range of motion and control, it can even work when detached from the prosthetic arm! The Hero Pro arm is super lightweight and water resistant. Each arm is 3D printed to fit the user, and the arm is loaded with sensors that take their cues as the user flexes their forearm muscles. These signals are interpreted and sent wirelessly to the hand to perform fine motions like "zipping a jacket, scrolling on a phone, or holding a guitar pick."

Singer and internet personality Tilley Lockey has been working with Open Bionics for ten years. She lost her hands to meningitis when she was a toddler, and has used and critiqued the company's advancements in prosthetics. Recently, she showed off her new Hero Pro arms on the British TV show This Morning. While we applaud the improved functionality of the hand, we can't get over how cool it is to control a hand when it isn't even attached to your arm. Read about Lockey and her new Hero Pro arms at My Modern Met. -via Damn Interesting

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Having read the linked page, it's hard to see the yuks that are presumably inherent in the life of an autistic man who is unemployed (like so much of that population), isolated, delusional, and mocked by strangers. I guess it's a subculture, but I wish I didn't know about it. The Ship of Fools folks look like they're in on the joke, and what with Flanders being fictional and all, laughing at him is a little more fun.