An iOS app now allows amputees with prosthetic hands to perform tasks which were not possible earlier. The hands, named i-Limb Ultra Revolution, were developed by UK-based prosthetic developers Touch Bionics. Jason Kroger, the first double amputee in the world, received five independent fingers on each hand, including fully rotatable thumbs. Functions of the limbs like grasping are controlled by an iPhone app.
Kroger lost both his hands in 2008 when his four wheeler ran over a downed power line putting him in contact with 7,200 volts of electricity. Both his hands had to be removed surgically to save his life. Since then, Kroger has been using various prosthetic hands but the latest i-Limb Ultra Revolution has made life more enjoyable for him. With the prosthetic device’s auto grasp feature, Kroger can now hold objects firmly and eliminate accidental drops. The grip pattern can be selected using the app which offers 24 grip designs already. Some of them include a tri-pod grip to pick up thin objects like pens and hand-shake grip useful during business meetings. In addition, the patterns are also customizable by the user, making them more personal. Users will be able to hold pool sticks and also perform mechanical works like drilling.
Touch Bionics claims the artificial hands to be almost identical to natural arms in terms of functionality. This device is a dream come true for those who had lost hope of living a normal life, especially Kroger who is extremely happy to be able to hold his daughter’s hands. He stated that he is able to do almost everything he could do before, but with a little more time. One major drawback with the device is that it is not water-proof. Hence the tasks that can be performed with the i-Limb Ultra Revolution are limited and users will have to keep back-up prosthetics, like most other existing prosthetics in the case of emergencies.
