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Cybernetics are typically associated with science fiction. The idea of completely replacing one of our flesh and blood limbs with a mechanical counterpart is almost entirely foreign to us. But with recent developments in prosthetics that fiction might become a reality.
DEKA arm being tested by the FDA
Recently prothetic limbs have been developed that connect to the users nervous system by putting several electrical sensors on their body next to major muscles. The sensors interpret what would be command to move the missing arm and transfer it to the motors in the arm to preform the same action. These sensors are becoming more and more exact allowing for more and more detailed motion in the the wrist and fingers. Right now the prosthetics battery life, articulation and aesthetics are being improved on and prepared for public use. Leading the charge on this developmental front is Ottobock with the Bebionic hand.
Bebionic with details
For more information on this hand go to:
http://bebionic.com/the_hand/
This prothetic limb can articulate almost a full range of motion with each individual finger, including 68% of motion in all directions with the thumb. It is considered the best prothetic hand on the market however even it still has issues. The grip strength of the hand is about 140 newtons or 14 kilograms of force which is about one third the grip strength of your average male adult. The most glaring issue is the cost of the hand, exactly 11,000$. Considering that people without hands have a hard time finding a job and some have to live off of government support or with no support at all. The cost of the prothetic limb becomes a serious issue. Repair is also an issue, engineers might understand some aspects of it but few have been trained in repair for such an exact instrument. Along repair is the durability of the object, its ability to withstand heat and water, and its resistance to blunt force trauma or laceration wounds on the wiring.
Each of these problems is being developed, plastic wrapping is being created for the water, stronger motors are being created for more gripping strength, and the structure is being redesigned to be lighter and stronger. However the two main obstacles in the way of progression are supply and demand.
There are about 45 million people in the world who require prothetic limbs. Most of these people are forced to use regular prosthetics as they cant afford the more expensive versions or they arn't readily available in their area. Additionally the cost of producing such hands is expensive, not only in parts but in the experience of the engineers developing and producing these limbs. If these standards are to change we are going to need to change the way that the supply is handled (can't go around chopping people legs off to change the demand). If more people are informed of the need for electronic prosthetics and more attention is drawn from the public to the issue people could start making a difference.