Current Event #3

Bionic Arm Gives Hope To Amputees

The bionic hands that amputees use today cause them to not have any feelings in their arm. They could be holding a baby's hand without knowing whether or not they're crushing the child's hand or not. Prosthetics that are used today are not connected to the nervous system. Scientist have come up with a bionic arm that gives amputees the ability to use it like their natural arm. 

In order to make this possible, scientist found a way to connect the nerves to the end of the bionic arm. Sensors that are attached to the arm could detect and receive signals from anything it comes in contact with. A computer algorithm developed by the scientist converts the signal into an impulse that is capable of being translated by nerves. The wires from the sensors are connected to the amputees nerves; this allows the signal to be sent to the brain.

The newly developed bionic arm has been successfully tested but is not ready for commercial use. Scientist wish to make some more improvements to the arm. As of now, the arm is not portable and works with many external cables. This prevents usage of the arm outside of the lab. Additionally, the team of scientist want to enhance the sensitivity and feeling of finger movements. Essentially, the bionic arm is the first prosthetic device that is able to connect to the nerves. The device has yet to be tested clinically and peer-reviewed. 

Personally, I think that the improvements that scientist have made to the bionic arm are astonishing! There are many individuals in the world who are arm amputees. Could you imagine not having any sense of feeling in your arm? This would improve the lives of arm amputees. They would now be able to gain the feeling that they have lost in their fingers. Life would be much easier if they could use their bionic arm like their natural arm.

The author of the article supports their claim by comparing the currently used bionic hand to the newly developed one created by scientist. It states in the article "Current prosthetics do not connect to our nerves, so picking up an egg feels the same as picking up a rock" (Radihika). This shows the improvements made to the bionic hand and how much more advanced it is now. The author also shows how the new bionic arm would improve the lives of arm amputees by stating, "Imagine if you had no feeling in your hands...this is the problem many amputees face...[but] all this could be changing soon" (Randhika). The authors claim is further supported when the author declares this new bionic arm as, "the next breakthrough in prosthetics" (Randhika). 

BBC worldnews.  "Bionic Hand Restores Amputee's Sense Of Touch."  Online video clip.  YouTube.  YouTube, 6 Feb. 2014.  Web.  18 Feb. 2014.  <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6RJKvCc-tM>.

Case, Amber.  "Bionic Prosthetis."  Photograph.  Flickr.  Yahoo, 11 Aug. 2010.  Web.  18 Feb. 2014.  <http://www.flickr.com/photos/caseorganic/4883688638/in/photostream/>.

Radhika.  "Bionic Arms Gives Hope To Amputees."  Youngzine.  Youngzine, 16 Feb. 2014.  Web.  18 Feb. 2014.  <http://www.youngzine.org/article/bionic-arm-gives-hope-amputees>.