Prosthetic

Researchers at the University of Cambridge in the UK have combined human stem cells with flexible electronics to create a new type of neural implant that has the potential to help amputees or those who’ve lost the use of their limbs.

An international team of scientists is reporting success with one of the most advanced bionic arms ever made. Users control the prosthesis just by thinking about it, while it feeds the sensation of touch back to the brain.

Researchers have developed a prosthetic joint that connects directly to the forearm bones of an amputee, allowing them to use a prosthesis with a wrist-like rotary movement. Use of the new joint could dramatically improve the quality of life for amputees.

​Musician Jason Barnes had part of his arm amputated in 2012, but with the help of a team led by prosthetics researcher GIl Weinberg he has found new ways to keep honing his craft, the latest example being a prosthetic arm that enables fine control over the keys of a piano.

​​We’ve all had a moment where an extra pair of hands would have been incredibly useful but who has ever wondered what they could do with just an extra thumb? London-based designer Danielle Clode not only wondered, but went on to build one.