UK man given 'terminator-like' prosthetic limb

A UK man has been fitted with a 'terminator-like' carbon fibre mechanical hand which he can control with movements in his upper arm.

Nigel Ackland, 53, from Royston, Cambridgeshire lost his arm in an accident six years ago and has now been given a new lease of life by a hi-tech bionic hand which is so precise that he can type again.

The new Bebionic 3 Myoelectric hand, which is also made from aluminium and alloy knuckles, moves like a real human limb by responding to Ackland's muscle twitches, the Telegraph reported.

The muscle twitches in his upper arm are detected by sensors that trigger one of 14 pre-programmed grips, mirroring human movements.

The different grip patterns include a clenched fist, a pointed finger and a pincer and a lighter and heavier depending on how the user tenses his upper arm.

The robotic arm is so sensitive that he can touch type on a computer keyboard, peel vegetables and even dress himself for the first time in six years.

Ackland lost his arm when it was caught in an industrial blending machine at a smelting plant in 2006, the report said.

He is one of just seven people in the world to be given the arm by Leeds-based prosthetics company, RSLSteeper, as part of a four-month trial.

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