Aug. 30, 2007 — An artificial arm that uses rocket propellant to power motorized muscles is being touted by its developers as the closest thing yet to a bionic limb.
Weighing in at about 4 pounds and able to move in 21 directions, the Vanderbilt Arm works remarkably similar to a human arm, which weighs about 7 pounds and can move in 26 directions. The idea is to eventually hardwire the prosthetic to a person's nervous system for thought-controlled motion.
"As far as the user is concerned, it would almost be no different than the native limb," said Michael Goldfarb, professor of mechanical engineering at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn.
All prosthetic arms must deal with two factors, said Goldfarb: power and function. Power allows a person to lift an object, like a gallon of milk, or throw something, such as a baseball.
Artificial arms usually sacrifice speed for force and so amputees are often stuck with mechanical limbs that move too slowly.
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Function is also sorely lacking in prosthetic arms, which typically have just two joints, an elbow and a pincher-like claw.
"We have something that is nearly as fast and powerful as the human arm and can move in almost as many ways," said Goldfarb.
