An advanced prosthetic arm is expected to be made available for consumers this year, according to a statement from Mobius Bionics.
LUKE aims to give people with amputations greater independence.
The arm is an advanced prosthesis that can, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, translate signals from a person's muscles into various movements.
Creators say its features are currently unmatched on the market.
A couple of the highlights include a powered shoulder, elbow and wrist, and a conforming hand grip.
LUKE was developed by Dean Kamen's DEKA Research and Development Corporation in collaboration with DARPA and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Kamen is well known for inventing the Segway.
“Up to this point, design in prosthetic arms has been limited to incremental changes. We developed the LUKE arm to change the game for amputees – creating an innovative, integrated system that offers greater functionality and independence to our wounded warriors and other amputees,” explained Dean Kamen, President of DEKA in a statement.
LUKE received the FDA stamp of approval two years ago- and DEKA's Mobius Bionics has recently announced the selection of a manufacturer.
The prosthetic arm is expected to be available in late 2016. People interested in getting one can get on a list now for updates: http://www.mobiusbionics.com/contact.html.
No word yet on pricing.
