Our Inspiration
Tilly Lockey lost both her hands at age 15 months. But when you watch her videos, you don’t feel any sense of loss. What you see is a bright, happy teenager with unlimited potential.
Much of that is a credit to her and her family. But as she says in this video, having cool bionic arms helps.
Our Mission
The Bionic Revolution is here. It is already improving the lives of those who have lost physical or neurological abilities to accident, disease, or genetic disorders.
Our goal is to educate people about the latest bionic technologies available to them. We’re also trying to build public support for expanded insurance coverage to help pay for these solutions.
Key Resources
The following pages provide quick access to resources of special interest:
Latest Research Articles
A Quick Look at Electronic Skin
Electronic skin is the linchpin to the next generation of bionic limbs, especially bionic hands. The ability to sense contact, pressure, texture, etc., is one of the main prerequisites for more intuitive control and greatly improved dexterity.
Advanced Neural Interfaces for Bionic Hands
Our brains are intimately connected to our bodies by a sophisticated network of nerves and touch receptors. It was only a matter of time before we sought to incorporate our bionic hands into this network. That time has arrived.
Bionic Hands: Finding the Right Myoelectric Control System
Myoelectric control systems form the interface between bionic arms / hands and their human users. Finding the right control system is one of the most important factors in user satisfaction.
Understanding Bionic Touch
Bionic touch — the ability to recreate a sense of touch in bionic prostheses — is quickly becoming a reality. Mimicking the natural sensory signals seems to be the optimal path to success. Now the race is on to finalize…
OsseoIntegration for Bionic Limbs
Osseointegration for limbs involves inserting a metal rod into an arm or leg bone. The bone then fuses with the rod in a manner similar to fracture healing. The resulting implant is strong, stable, and intimately connected with the patient.
Mind-Controlled Bionic Limbs
Mind-controlled bionic limbs are now a reality thanks to numerous scientific breakthroughs. Dual-site myoelectric sensors placed against the skin’s surface offer the simplest method of delivering a limited degree of mind control. Pattern Recognition and/or targeted nerve reinnervation can significantly…
Latest Technology Articles
Blatchford Orion Knee
Blatchford’s latest version of the Orion Knee (Orion 3) has closed the technology gap with other leading bionic knees in the same price range. The one remaining question is: do prosthetists trust it as much they do its competitors, especially…
Freedom Innovations Plie Knee
The Plie Knee has some unique features that draw both supporters and detractors. While it still sells at an attractive price, its recent acquisition by Proteor USA, scheduled to close by the end of 2020, justifies a wait-and-see approach by…
Vincent Evolution
The Vincent Evolution is clearly an advanced bionic hand. But while it has distributors in the United States, it lacks documentation and videos in English. The purpose of this article is to make you aware of the Evolution and to…
The Psyonic Ability Hand
The Psyonic Ability Hand offers six degrees of freedom, sensory feedback, and fast response times. It is also strong and rugged with compliant, damage-resistant fingers and a lift capacity of 23 kg (50 lbs).
Ossur Power Knee
Ossur’s Power Knee is the only bionic knee that augments the user’s residual limb with electric power. This significantly reduces the user’s energy expenditure while also assisting in tasks like standing and ascending stairs. It also helps ensure greater ground…
Ossur Rheo Knee XC
Ossur’s Rheo Knee XC is the premium version of its sister product, the Rheo Knee. Added features include the ability to transition more quickly from walking to running and from walking to bicycling. Users can also ascend stairs step-over-step and…
Bionic Feats
Bionic Feats: From Wheelchair to Walking
For many centuries, paraplegia often meant confining patients to wheelchairs. This is no longer the case. Bionic exoskeletons are now making it possible for paraplegics to rise from their wheelchairs and reclaim their freedom.
Bionic Feats: Food Preparation
Preparing food is a daily activity that is essential for personal independence. In these videos, we show you various bionic hands hard at work in the kitchen.
Bionic Feats: Heavy-Duty Hand Work
Bionic hand technology is improving all the time, with a lot of emphasis on better control systems, more sensory feedback, and faster response times. But these devices still tend to be relatively fragile. In these videos, we show you a…
Bionic Feats: Challenging Terrain
As lower-limb bionic technologies improve, users naturally want to venture beyond “safe” surfaces and go wherever they want. This requires the same kind of adaptability offered by natural legs/feet. Fortunately, bionic scientists and engineers seem to be up to the…
Bionic Feats: Conquering Stairs
A few decades ago, going up and down the stairs was an ordeal for lower-limb amputees, even dangerous. These five short videos show how bionic knees and ankles have made this important daily task so much easier!
Bionic Feats: Tying Shoelaces
Tying shoelaces is a real challenge for bionic hands because it requires significant dexterity. For a hand to truly play its part in this task, it should have good hand speed and the ability to switch grips with ease.
Real Bionic Stories
Master Innovators in Bionic Limbs
The innovators featured in this post are all accomplished scientists, engineers, and/or inventors. They have all made significant contributions to the advancement of bionic limbs. But what makes them truly special is their passion to improve the lives of those…
Interview with Richard Slusher, Amputee Camp Counselor
An amazing conversation with amputee camp counselor, Richard Slusher. We learned more about limb difference from talking with Richard than we have in nearly a year of hard studying.
The Revolution in Prosthetic Aesthetics
There is something transformative happening in the prosthetics industry — a long-overdue awakening among product designers, those with limb differences, and the general public that is helping us take a big step toward a more inclusive society.