Two Ryerson University biomedical engineering students Michal Prywata and Thiago Caires’ have developed a prosthetic arm controlled by brain signals.

The press release states that the Artificial Muscle-Operated (AMO) Arm not only enables amputees more range of movement as compared to other prosthetic arms but it allows amputees to avoid invasive surgeries and could potentially save hundreds of thousands of dollars.

As a very nice secondary benefit, the AMO could be mounted on a wheelchair and used as a reaching and manipulation device by wheelchair users who do not have use of their upper extremities.

The AMO Arm is controlled by the user’s brain signals and is powered by ‘artificial muscles’ – simple pneumatic pumps and valves – to create movements. In contrast, traditional prosthetic limbs – which typically offer more limited movements – rely on intricate and expensive electrical and mechanical components.

“In just ten minutes of practising, a person can pick up the mind-control aspect of the technology,” says Prywata. Moreover, he says, the AMO Arm will not only benefit amputees, but could also be used as an assistive device on wheelchairs, enabling users to reach things with greater ease. The technology could also be used by the military to facilitate remote operations and in situations requiring robotics.

Read the entire story at: http://www.ryerson.ca/news/media/General_Public/20110329_RN_CairesPr.html