🦾 Bionic Arms
Real-life superpowers! These arms read your muscle signals and turn thoughts into movement.
Your Muscles Are Whispering
Even if someone is missing part of their arm, the muscles that remain still receive electrical signals from the brain. These signals are tiny - about as strong as a small flashlight battery.
But special sensors called EMG sensors can detect them! Think of it like this: your muscles are whispering commands, and the bionic arm has a super-sensitive microphone that can hear those whispers.
It's like a video game controller! When you flex your muscle gently, the bionic hand moves slowly - like barely pushing a joystick. Flex harder, and it moves faster - like pushing the joystick all the way! This lets you pick up an egg without breaking it, or grip a ball tight enough to throw.
The Hero Arm: Made for Kids!
The Hero Arm by Open Bionics is the world's first bionic arm made specifically for kids as young as 8. And it comes in superhero designs like Iron Man, Black Panther, and Frozen!
6 Amazing Grip Patterns
The Hero Arm can make six different hand shapes for different tasks. Click each one to learn more!
What Bionic Arms Can't Do (Yet!)
Bionic arms are amazing, but they have some limits. Users have to watch what they're grabbing since they can't feel if something is hot, cold, soft, or hard.
They also need to be recharged every day, like a phone. But scientists are working on all these problems - and making incredible progress! (Check out the Future Tech section to see what's coming!)
The Hero Arm has a "freeze mode" that locks your fingers in place. This is perfect for holding bike handlebars, carrying grocery bags, or anything where you need a steady grip without thinking about it!
EMG stands for "electromyography" - electro (electricity) + myo (muscle) + graphy (recording). The sensors detect electrical activity in microvolts (millionths of a volt).
The Hero Arm uses machine learning to get better over time. As you practice, the software learns your specific muscle patterns and becomes more accurate. It's like a video game that adapts to how you play!
The arm also has a wrist that can rotate 180 degrees - that's halfway around! This is actually more rotation than most people's wrists can do naturally.
Test Your Knowledge!
Q1. What do EMG sensors detect?
Q2. How many grip patterns does the Hero Arm have?
Q3. What CAN'T bionic arms do yet?