Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave its initial approval for the sale and marketing of a prosthetic arm that translates signals from a person’s muscles.

The new invention is informally known as the “Luke” arm, which is a reference to Luke Skywalker’s robotic arm in Star Wars. However, this new prosthetic arm is formally known as the Deka Arm. This new invention is controlled by electrical signals from electromyogram (EMG) electrodes that are connected to the user’s muscles.

The aim of the Deka Arm System is to allow some people the ability to perform more complex tasks than they can currently do with their prostheses in a way that resembles the natural motion of the arm. However, the invention does not work for those with limb loss at the wrist joint or the elbow.

The Deka Arm works in a way that the electrodes are attached to the muscles of the wearer and transmit signals to a processor in the prosthesis. Then, the signals are interpreted and turned into up to 10 distinct movements.

This project was sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the U.S. Army Research Office. Dean Kamen, who also is the inventor of the Segway, along with his team at Deka Research, were all integral in the development of this invention.

Although just a few decades ago, Luke Skywalker’s bionic arm was nothing more than a prop of pure science fiction, that same technology is becoming our reality and it’s safe to say that the future is upon us!

Here is a quick video to get a better look at this innovative invention!

Copyright Davison 2014

Sources:

http://mashable.com/2014/05/11/fda-approves-robotic-arm/

Media:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl_Yl8vsKrY

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ-aWSb4DWtmcr_iWGm2ZR6qLGFqizHZNT8ktPgjx2w4_a6PuYX

The post The Deka Arm is Reaching Out to the Future appeared first on Davison.

As a chef, you have to be nimble, have good dexterity and be able to manipulate foods during preparation and plating. Although that sounds difficult enough as it is, could you imagine doing all of those things with a prosthetic hand?

On November 12, we wrote about a father who used a 3D printer to create a working-prototype of a prosthetic hand for his son. Well, it turns out that Leon McCarthy and classically-trained chef Eduardo Garcia have something in common; they both have a prosthetic hand.

However, unlike McCarthy, Garcia didn’t always have the need for prosthesis. It wasn’t until an electrocution accident when he lost his left hand in 2011 that his life would be changed forever and as a result, he would need a prosthetic hand.

Two years after the accident, the question wasn’t “if” Garcia would return to the kitchen, it was a question of “when” he would return to the kitchen.

In contrast to the prosthetics that are commonly used today, Garcia uses a new hand that was designed by Touch Bionics and outfitted by Advanced Arm Dynamics. Garcia’s prosthetic hand is motorized, wireless, uses to Bluetooth, can grip 25 different ways and is controlled by the muscles in his forearm.

This new prosthetic is made from carbon fiber and silicone and can last an entire day on one charge, which is perfect for a busy chef like Garcia.

Now known as the ‘Bionic Chef”, Garcia doesn’t plan on slowing down anytime soon. In fact, he is working on a new TV cooking show Active Ingredient that he was working on even before the accident. The show will incorporate his experiences through the eyes of a chef travelling the world, culinary training and the promotion of a healthy and active lifestyle and positive attitude toward food and life.

Copyright Davison 2013

Sources:

• Gizmodo.com
• Latino Fox News

The post The Bionic Chef: Whipping Up a Recipe of Perseverance appeared first on Davison.