HOW ROBOTIC LIMBS CHANGE LIVES
Discover the body-enhancing bionics that can give humans and animals a new lease of life
WORDS AILSA HARVEY
DID YOU KNOW? Typically, robotic arms have seven segments and six joints
Did you know?
‘Prosthetic’ is a Greek word meaning ‘addition’
While some robots are intended to assist humans, robotics can also reproduce realistic limb-like functions for those that have lost arms, legs and other parts of their bodies. These prosthetics have existed in one form or another since at least ancient Egyptian times. Early limb replacements involved using materials such as wood or leather for support and balance. In the 1960s, the capabilities of prosthetics to enhance lives were explored. This included incorporating lightweight carbon-fibre material into prosthetics so that amputees could partake and succeed in sporting activities.
However, it wasn’t until 1986 that electronic prosthetic limbs were explored. Scottish inventor David Gow began his mission to make existing pneumatic arms easier to use, lighter in weight and more functional. This led to the first bionic arm being ready for use in 1998. The first user of this bionic arm was a
man named Campbell Aird, who lost his arm to cancer. After experiencing the benefits of an electrically powered, lightweight limb, Aird said at the time: “For the first time in 16 years I recently reached above my head to pick a book off a shelf. It was a great moment for me.”