A Mobile App to Control a Bionic Hand

As if having a bionic hand wasn’t mind-blowing enough, now there’s an artificial hand available that you can control using a mobile phone app. The i-Limb Ultra Revolution from Touch Bionics includes four individually powered fingers and a thumb with full rotation capabilities.

The mobile Biosim app provides users with access to single-click motion patterns. By tapping on an icon, the app can instruct the hand to right click a mouse, or adjust its grip for different types of activities. The hand can also be controlled via muscle signals.

Biosim (which is iOS compatible) includes 24 preset motions and gestures, and allows users to create sets of grip patterns for specific tasks. This allows users to more quickly adapt the hand for all types of motions, including those that have been traditionally challenging to master via muscle control.

Touch Bionics has been in the artificial limb business since the 1960s. The new hand and software are based on the company’s existing i-Limb Ultra design and Biosim control software suite. The Ultra Revolution version includes more natural movements and gestures, a power-management system and low-battery warning signal, and multiple types of synthetic skin coverings.

You can watch a video of the hand in action below:

Source: Touch Bionics