Star Wars Inspired Bionic Hand Allows Amputee to Control Prosthetic Fingers and Play the Piano

Georgia Tech College of Design professor and founding director of the Center for Music Technology, Gil Weinberg, worked with fellow researchers to create a incredible bionic hand that was heavily inspired by Luke Skywalker‘s mechanical hand from Star Wars. The bio hand allows amputees to move individual fingers with the use of ultrasound signals. Musician Jason Barnes, who stepped up to test it out, demonstrated how it worked by successfully playing the piano. Weinberg and his team helped Barnes out a couple of years back when they developed a prosthetic that allowed Jason to drum at incredible speeds.

Luke Skywalker’s bionic hand is a step closer to reality for amputees in this galaxy. Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have created an ultrasonic sensor that allows amputees to control each of their prosthetic fingers individually. It provides fine motor hand gestures that aren’t possible with current commercially available devices.

The first amputee to use it, a musician who lost part of his right arm five years ago, is now able to play the piano for the first time since his accident. He can even strum the Star Wars theme song. (read more)

via IEEE Spectrum