Tech: iLimb gives amputees near-normal function

[dracodraconis]

Touch Bionics announced that the iLimb is now available in the UK and US. The arm uses myoelectric signals from shoulder muscles to control the fingers, giving the user a range of motion approaching that of a human hand. They also offer a latex sheath that resembles a normal hand, like the one shown in this photo. Check out the gallery that gives you a much clearer idea of just how much function this device is returning to amputees. They apparently had to scale back the limb's capabilities because the limb was, in fact, stronger than a normal hand. They use dynamic touch detection to avoid things like breaking a person's hand when exchanging a hand-shake. Found on iGargoyle where they mull the possibility of hacking it.

Comments

[dracodraconis.livejournal.com]

Yep, everything now-a-days has the "i" in front of it, just ot make it "trendy". I'm not sure why they call this one an iLimb, given it has nothing to so with Apple. Maybe it has an iPod attachment?