handroidIt looks like Plymouth firm Advanced Control Research (ACR) over in the UK has literally lent a helping hand to paralysed former Royal Marine Dominic Lovett. Lovett, who is 27 years old this year, is partially paralyzed due to an accident, and he has been successfully fitted with what they call the”handroid” – a bionic hand. So far, initial tests have proven to be successful, allowing Lovett to lift an object with his hand for the first time – in seven years, to boot!

This is a milestone that is worth remembering, and ACR intends to shift their attention to a powered elbow that will eventually allow Lovett to lift objects down the road. Mr. Lovett himself said that the bionic hand fitted to him had “surpassed my expectations”. How does this mechanical hand work in the first place? Well, it has to be specially measured and fitted to fit the patient, and electrical signals from neck muscles are then sent to the hand which will in turn, respond accordingly – as though he had full control of the hand. Of course, such technology is still in its infancy, and I am quite sure that there will be more breakthroughs down the road which will see the implementation of such bionic appendages used to assist humans in the future.

Filed in Medical >Robots. Read more about . Source: bbc

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