Two Karachi students have claimed to introduce the world’s first-ever mind-controlled prosthetic arms as part of their final year project to help amputees or disabled persons. As per details, the arm is “triple movement,” which means a person can open and close their wrists, type, and lift objects too, just like human hands. According to the students, the currently available prosthetics are “single movement” and only enable them to open and close their hands.
The innovation, if true, definitely adds positively to the prosthetics industry in Pakistan and impressive too, since mind-controlled prosthetics are still in prototype form and are yet to be introduced internationally. An implant system that allows users to control their bionic arm with their thoughts without the need for any supporting equipment could be available in Europe in the next two years, scientists have said.
While talking to Urdu Point, the young innovators said that they have successfully tested the prosthetic arm by having various patients use it and making them do various tasks successfully.
“Prosthetic arms in Pakistan are minimal and don’t offer movement to the wearer,” Bilal, one of the students, told UrduPoint. “The innovative prosthetic arm functions as per the wearer’s brain signals, whether the person is thinking of opening the wrist or closing it or typing. Each prosthetic has unique features as per the classification of the person wearing it.”, he adds.
According to the students, they have already received an order for the arm and are currently assembling it to attach to a patient within a week.
Despite the students’ claim, mind-controlled prosthetics are nothing new, and a group of Pakistani engineers successfully created a similar robotic arm controlled by the brain, also as part of their final year project back in 2019. Some 30 disabled persons had the prosthetic arm installed.
