IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 12

Bionic Hand
It's	got	an	embedded	computer,	a	rechargeable	
battery,	and	five	small	dc	motors.	It	costs	
US	$18	500.	And	it	can	do	things	most	other	
	prosthetic	hands	just	can't,	like	grabbing	a	
paper	cup	without	crushing	it,	turning	a	key	in	
a	lock,	and	pressing	buttons	on	a	cellphone.	
The	fingers	of	Touch	Bionics'	iLIMB	Hand	are	
	controlled	by	the	nerve	impulses	of	the	user's	
arm,	and	they	operate	independently,	adapting	
to	the	shape	of	whatever	they're	grasping.	The	
hand	can	also	do	superhuman	tricks,	like	holding	a	very	hot	plate	or	gripping	an	object	tirelessly	for	days.	A	skin-tone	covering	gives	the	
bionic	hand	a	lifelike	look,	but	some	customers	
prefer	semitransparent	models,	to	proudly	flaunt	
their	robotic	hands.	"They	like	the	Terminator	
look,"	says	Touch	Bionics	CEO	Stuart	Mead.
See	more	photos	and	videos	at	IEEE
Spectrum's	robotics	blog,	Automaton,		
http://blogs.spectrum.ieee.org/automaton.

Photo by Touch Bionics

22	 IEEE	Spectrum	|	October	2007	|	NA		

www.spectrum.ieee.org


http://blogs.spectrum.ieee.org/automaton http://www.spectrum.ieee.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Spectrum October, 2007

IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - Cover1
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - Cover2
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 1
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 2
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 3
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 4
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 5
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 6
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 7
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 8
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 9
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 10
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 11
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 12
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 13
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 14
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 15
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 16
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 17
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 18
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 19
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 20
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 21
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 22
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 23
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 24
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 25
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 26
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 27
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 28
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 29
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 30
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 31
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 32
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 33
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 34
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 35
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 36
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 37
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 38
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 39
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 40
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 41
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 42
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 43
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 44
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 45
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 46
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 47
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 48
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 49
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - 50
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - Cover3
IEEE Spectrum October, 2007 - Cover4
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/spectrum_na_1117
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/spectrum_na_1017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/spectrum_na_0917
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/spectrum_na_0817
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/spectrum_na_0717
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/spectrum_na_0617
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/spectrum_na_0517
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/spectrum_na_0417
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/spectrum_na_0317
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/spectrum_na_0217
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/spectrum_na_0117
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/spectrum_na_1216
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/spectrum_na_1116
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/spectrum_na_1016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/spectrum_na_0916
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/spectrum_na_0816
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/spectrum_na_0716
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/spectrum_na_0616
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/spectrum_na_0915
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/spectrum_na_0815
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/spectrum_na_0715
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/spectrum_na_1114
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/spectrum_na_1213
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/spectrum_na_0813
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/spectrum_na_1212
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/spectrum_na_0709
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/spectrum_na_0509
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/spectrum_na_0707
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/spectrum_na_0607
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/spectrum_na_0507
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