A tragic freak accident that left 26- year old James Young four years ago that cost him an arm when it was ran over by a train, paved the way for the young man to become the subject of an experiment to carry around a detachable state-of-the-art prototype bionic arm that may change the world of prosthetics.
James, who worked as a biological scientist, was about to board a train after a night out with friends but was walking too close to the platform edge and as the train was rolling in, tried to reach for the button to open the door but the momentum caused him to lose his balance and fell between two carriages.
James sustained multiple injuries ranging from a fractured face and skull, cracks in his spine, collapsed lung, severed left knee and damaged left arm.
After recovering from a coma and numerous reconstructive surgeries, he was discharged from the hospital and provided a prosthetic arm and leg, which made working and living more difficult due to its limited capabilities.
Until a year ago when he responded to an online advertisement from Japanese gaming company Konami, which was looking for an amputee to participate in testing of a state-of-the-art prosthetic limb that combined advanced robotics.
The robotic limb was constructed to be connected to muscles and nerves in the shoulder and sporting a unique and aesthetic design that would match the personality of the person wearing it.
Thanks to James’ inclination for video games, he was chosen for the project.
The bionic arm was fitted into James at the London studio of prosthetic artist Sophie de Oliveira Barata, the creator of the Alternative Limb Project and designed a bespoke metal arm with an attached plastic hand controlled by the muscles in his shoulders.
Sensors have been attached to both his shoulders, connected to a harness across the top of his body that operates the battery-operated arms and hands, which are more realistically functional like the real things and are way advanced than the clip and pincers of standard issued prosthetic limbs.
The bionic arm was constructed with unusual features like a laser light, torch, USB port, watch and a drone with the remote control built-in to the arm.
It may be a long time before more advanced functions can be incorporated into this technology, however, it did provide James with more mobility and range of movements that made living work and playing more convenient and human-like.
Image Credit: The man with the amazing arm – Daily Mail U.K
The post The Dawn Of Robotics Tech May Give Hope To Amputees appeared first on NUTRITION CLUB CANADA.
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