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Touch Bionics' latest 'i-limb' offers a powered rotating thumb, smartphone controls
Touch Bionics' i-limb prosthetic hand has advanced quite a bit in recent years, adding features like Bluetooth connectivity and upgraded fingers. Now the company has made available its latest revision, the i-limb ultra revolution, which offers powered thumb rotation for some added dexterity, as well as a new "biosim" app (iOS-only for now) that gives the wearer quick access to 24 different grip patterns in addition to diagnostic and training modes. Of course, the hand isn't only controlled using a phone; as with previous models, it relies on muscle signals to shift into different pre-set patterns, which let the wearer perform a wide variety of actions. You can get a glimpse of some of those capabilities in the video after the break.
Touch Bionics releases new prosthetic fingers, flips the old ones the bird
The only upgrades available for our puny human hands are gaming controller calluses, but if you're sporting an i-LIMB digits hand prosthesis, you can now grab a set of improved fingers. Touch Bionics' "smaller, lighter and more anatomically accurate" appendages are now available worldwide, as well as a new wrist-band unit which houses all the necessary computing power and juice for their function. Best of all, these developments allow more people to adopt the tech than the previous generation, including those with more petite hands or finger amputations closer to the knuckle. We don't know how much it'll cost for a fresh set, but we'll let health agencies and insurance companies deal with that part. With these upgrades and RSL Steeper's latest offering, it won't be long before our flesh-based variants are meager in comparison.
Virtu-LIMB lets prospective patients take upgraded Touch Bionics hand for a spin
It looks like Touch Bionics is bringing the classic "try before you buy" racket to the world of bionic hands. Say hello to the Virtu-LIMB, a simulation and training setup for myoelectric upper limb prostheses. This little yellow dome tethers to a patient's arm and transmits their myoelectric signals to a nearby computer via Bluetooth -- the data is then used to either control an i-LIMB Ultra prosthetic hand or, failing that, a PC simulation of one. The rig was shown at the American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association National Assembly this week, and can be used to help clinicians fine-tune prostheses for their patients, train patients to manipulate their bionic digits, or even demonstrate the Touch Bionics' i-LIMB to a potential user. The i-LIMB Ultra itself is an upgraded replacement for the outfit's i-LIMB Pulse, featuring a new variable digit-by-digit grip mode, increased flexibility, extended battery life (and low battery audio warning), and the ability to create custom gestures. The new unit even returns to a natural resting state after a period of inactivity, keeping the devil out of your idle hands.
Touch Bionics i-LIMB Pulse, the Bluetooth bionic hand, makes your meaty one obsolete
Let's say you got in a fight with your dad. You said some things, he said some things, and then he cut your hand off. Don't go all emo: Touch Bionics has a new product that will have you overthrowing empires again in no time. A successor to the company's revolutionary i-LIMB Hand, the i-LIMB Pulse is a more streamlined version meant to look more natural, also offered in two sizes, and comes complete with Bluetooth that allows prosthetists and users to tweak settings easily. The device's name comes from its "pulsing technology" that boosts strength, enabling it to handle up to 90kg (about 200lbs), which is a lot more than our crippled carpal tunnels can manage these days. The Pulse starts shipping to would-be chosen ones on June 1 -- just in time for Father's Day. %Gallery-92450%
Video: Teenager's new i-LIMB prosthetic hand is super cool
We've seen the i-LIMB plenty in the past, but we have to say that seeing it in action -- newly installed on teenager Evan Reynolds -- is pretty impressive. The prosthetic is so sensitive that Reynolds can grip a small bottle of water, no problem. We assure you: it's pretty cool.
Fluidhand emerges, i-LIMB hides in shame
After launching its world-beating i-LIMB prosthetic hand last year, Touch Bionics is taking things in a different direction with feeling some competition from the "Fluidhand." The new hand uses miniature hydraulics to flex the fingers, and can better interact with objects -- like grasping things with irregular surfaces -- than the five motor i-LIMB. Fludihand is also designed to have a more natural feel than previous prosthetics, and gives feedback to the stump to let the user sense the strength of the grip. Currently Fluidhand is just in the prototype stage, with one patient so far testing both prosthetics against each other in a battle to the death.Update: Sorry for the confusion, Fluidhand was built by a some researchers in Karlsruhe, Germany, not by Touch Bionics.
Touch Bionics has i-LIMB bionic arm to go with your bionic hand
The mad scientists from Touch Bionics are at it again. After delivering their i-LIMB bionic hand last year, they're moving on up the, uh ... body and are announcing their sophomore effort: the i-LIMB bionic arm. Like their bionic hand, the arm is controlled via learned muscle movements picked up by electrodes placed on the user's chest and is covered in a "realistic cosmetic skin." The only real problem with the i-Limb bionic arm isn't so much a problem in our books, as it is an advantage: it's stronger than your old-fashioned human arms. Of course, with that power comes a whole bunch of ethical and safety concerns. Is there an ethical problem with exacting revenge on that arm-breaking arm wrestling arcade game?
Touch Bionics i-LIMB bionic hand
Touch Bionics, a UK-based prothesis developer, announced today that its i-LIMB bionic hand has been made available for use in the United States and Europe. The i-LIMB is one the first widely available prosthetic hands with five individually powered digits, affording its user a surprisingly wide range of motion. Additionally, the i-LIMB uses dynamic touch detection which can sense when a finger has sufficient grip on on object and stop powering, useful in situations such as holding someone's hand, where too much power can cause, er, problems. Using electric signals generated by working muscles to control the hand, the device is much like traditional myoelectric prosthetics (the signals are sent from electrodes placed on the skin). Touch Bionics has also developed a "groundbreaking" form of cosmesis, a latex sheath which covers the hand that TB claims gives an incredibly realistic appearance. Check the gallery to see for yourself.[Thanks, Matt]%Gallery-4959%
