COVER STORY


There are always


new developments in prosthetic limb technology, such


as microprocessor- driven and activity- specific components


BIONIC MARVELS


In the realm of prosthetics, form and function converge to create seamless design integration. By Siobhan Doyle


A


young man named Zak from Michigan was born without his left hand. A huge fan of film franchises such as Star


Wars and theMarvel Comic Universe, Zak was fitted with a ‘Hero Arm’ from medical device company Open Bionics in April 2019 at his local Hanger Clinic in Livonia. The cover of the arm in question resembled that of Marvel’s Iron Man suit. Zak was able to master the prosthetic


within hours: he was riding a bike, reading books, and holding binoculars.


6 www.engineerlive.com


His mother also spoke out about the Hero Arm to the press: “Zak’s previous experience with prosthetics – the more traditional ones that were available to us – was not positive they were heavy and not as user-friendly to him, and so he was not overly excited to use them at the time. The newer technology is lighter, he had more input into the colour and design, so he felt more part of the process.” Similar to that of numerous


individuals with limb differences, Zak’s story highlights the importance


Open Bionics develop bionic limbs that are bespoke to an individual for optimal comfort and functionality


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