The DEKA Arm System, An FDA-Approved Prosthetic Arm That Allows for Simultaneous Control of Multiple Joints

DEKA Arm System

The DEKA Arm System is a prosthetic arm developed by DEKA Integrated Solutions for DARPA‘s Revolutionizing Prosthetics program that can perform multiple, simultaneous movements powered by a combination of electrical signals, switches, movement sensors, and force sensors. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the system for marketing.

The development and approval of the system, nicknamed “Luke” after the Star Wars protagonist, was a process overseen by Dean Kamen that took eight years. Kamen spoke about the project and its inception in a 2007 TED talk.

DEKA Arm System

photos via DARPA

via DARPA

Rollin Bishop
Rollin Bishop