Adam’s Hand from BionIT Labs

Published , Updated , by Wayne Williams in Category: Bionic Arm / Hand, Mobility
Adams Hand Feature Image 2

Adam’s Hand is one of the most intriguing new bionic hands due to its unique adaptive grip technology, which eliminates the need to change grips.

What’s On This Page?

A Quick Look at Adam’s Hand

The following video provides a brief description of the key features of Adam’s Hand:

We will describe each of these features and a few others in more detail in subsequent sections.

Key Features

Grip Patterns & Control System

This is by far the most distinguishing feature of Adam’s Hand. It does not use grip patterns, at least from the user’s standpoint. It uses a fully adaptive grip where the hand’s digits automatically wrap around an object as needed.

Other hands also use adaptive grips, mainly through a method of finger stalling, i.e. each finger involved in a grip pattern continues to close until it encounters resistance. But this feature is merely intended to augment the grip pattern that has been explicitly selected by the user.

Adam’s Hand uses its adaptive grip as its primary means of grasping objects. Users do not have to switch grips before grasping an object. They merely position the hand and trigger the close command, letting the hand and its software do the rest. Here are a few examples:

There are multiple advantages to this approach:

  • no grip switching;
  • faster, more intuitive use;
  • eliminates the need for a more expensive myoelectric pattern recognition sensing system, as the traditional two-channel myoelectric system should suffice;
  • automatic force distribution between the fingers, which allows for a more stable grip, especially when the grasped object moves within the hand.

We asked BionIT about tasks that do not fit this model, such as typing on a keyboard. Their answer is that the user simply needs to close the hand while keeping the index finger extended, either by using the other hand or any hard surface, thus creating the pointer grip used by most bionic hands for typing.

For objects that involve a trigger, the hand has been designed to ensure that the index finger always opens or closes first.

These nuances suggest that the company has gone beyond the novel idea of a fully adaptive grip and put considerable thought into other aspects of the hand’s design.

Thumb Rotation

Adam’s Hand requires manual thumb rotation. It has three thumb positions:

  • thumb to the side and out of the way of the fingers, which is used to carry things like a shopping bag;
  • thumb rotated 90 degrees so that it opposes the fingertips, which is needed to form a pinch grip for picking up objects like a pen from a flat surface;
  • in between the two preceding positions (i.e. at 45 degrees), where the thumb is used to help secure an object without opposing the fingertips — for example, when holding a coffee cup by the handle.

The following short video demonstrates these features:

Proportional Speed Control

As with most other myoelectric hands, Adam’s Hand offers proportional speed control. This means that the hand will close with a speed and force that correlates to the strength of the muscle action used to trigger the close signal.

Auto Grip

Adam’s Hand uses a pressure sensor in the thumb to detect if an object is slipping from the hand’s grasp. If so, the hand will automatically increase the grip force.

Sensory Feedback

Adam’s Hand offers vibrotactile feedback through a vibration motor placed into the hand. It can provide feedback on both the inputs from the pressure sensor in the thumb as well as the speed and power of the grip.

Wrist Design

Adam’s Hand comes with an industry-standard Quick Disconnect Wrist. This allows users to quickly swap the hand for another device, such as an Electric Terminal Device (ETD).

Lift Capacity & Grip Strength

Adam’s Hand can carry 20 kilograms of a static load and can exert 100 Newtons of force, which is about the middle of the pack for the bionic hand industry. Note that an average of 70 Newtons is required for most daily activities.

The company also noted that because their adaptive grip automatically distributes the grip force of each finger where and when it is needed, and then instantly adjusts this grip force if the grasped object begins to move, less force is needed when compared to traditional, non-adaptive bionic devices.

We are intrigued by this claim and look forward to the feedback that we will eventually receive through our User Satisfaction Survey for this device.

Durability

Adam’s Hand’s finger joints and internal mechanisms are built with aviation-grade aluminum joints and stainless steel, while the hand and finger covers are built using impact-resistant techno-polymers.

Adams Hand Durable Construction

The company claims that its adaptive grip is also responsive to external stress. However, in keeping with our policy for all bionic hands, we will rely on our User Satisfaction Survey to measure durability. Since Adam’s Hand has not yet launched commercially, it will likely be a few years before we have those results.

One durability feature that we unequivocally support is that if the fingers do break, they have been designed for easy replacement by a prosthetist, so the hand will not have to be sent back to the manufacturer for this type of repair. Considering the inconvenience caused to users who have to wait weeks or even months for repairs to their bionic hands, this is a feature that other companies should emulate.

Water and Dust Resistance

Adam’s Hand has an IP rating of 44, meaning that it is protected against solid objects that are bigger than one millimeter. This means that it is not dustproof, since dust particles are much smaller than one millimeter.

IP44 also means that the hand is protected against water splashing from any angle but it is not waterproof. Truly waterproof hands include the TASKA Hand, the Vincent Evolution, and, starting in 2024, the Atom Touch.

Glove Options

BionIT Labs is currently developing a durable aesthetic glove that can be used by patients who want a more life-like appearance. It will also raise the hand’s IP rating to 67, giving it the same IP rating as other dustproof and waterproof hands.

We will update this section as soon as the glove is officially launched.

Batteries

Adam’s Hand comes with BionIT Labs’ proprietary ThunderCell Battery, which lasts for at least one day of typical use and can be charged in only one hour. Users can also purchase additional batteries, which they can swap into the hand as needed.

While the ThunderCell Battery is proprietary, it has already been used successfully with other devices, in some cases lasting multiple days before requiring a recharge.

User Software

Adam’s Hand offers an application called “MyoLogic Pro App” for certified prosthetists and orthotists to support setup, recalibration, and end-user training:

The company also offers an end-user version of the software called simply “MyoLogic App” (i.e. without the “Pro”). A video of this version of the app is forthcoming.

In either case, the app can use pattern-recognition technology with just two electrodes thanks to a fast calibration procedure (15 seconds) that does not rely on threshold, as happens with standard direct-control systems. It instead learns the combination of the two muscle signals (forearm flexors and extensors) used to open or close the hand. This allows for more robust control even when the user’s forearm is in non-standard positions (e.g. above the head or behind the shoulder).

Both versions of the app are available for both IOS and Android devices.

Suitability for Above-the-Elbow Solutions

Adam’s Hand is designed as a true component hand. Therefore, the company expects it to be compatible with all commercial bionic elbows, wrists, etc. However, they have not yet conducted full compatibility tests. We will update this section as soon as they have done so.

Price

According to our information, Adam’s Hand will sell for around $30,000 US for a typical below-the-elbow solution in the U.S. market, including all mandatory components (sensors, batteries, etc.) and prosthetist fees. We have placed it in our $30,000 to $40,000 US price range because it is likely to pass the $30,000 barrier in most cases, but it might straddle the $20,000 to $30,000 US and the $30,000 to $40,000 US ranges almost exactly in the middle.

For a complete list of prices for other bionic hands, please see our Bionic Hand Price List.

Availability

Adam’s Hand is still in its trial phase. According to BionIT Labs, the hand will first be released for sale in Q1 2022 in Italy, and later in 2022 in Germany, France, Spain, and the U.S., though the official timeline for these countries won’t be confirmed until later in 2021.

Warranty

Adam’s Hand comes with a 3-year basic warranty with the option to extend it up to 3 more years (for a total of 6 years). This warranty includes free check-ups in the 24th and 48th months. The ThunderCell Battery and the Wave Electrodes come with a 1-year basic warranty that cannot be extended.

User Feedback Survey & Results

Survey

Are you currently using Adam’s Hand or have you used it in the past?

If so, why not help others by sharing your experiences in this quick survey:

Results

We do not yet have a sufficient number of survey participants to publish fair and accurate results for Adam’s Hand.

As soon as we do, we’ll update this section.

Considerations Before Buying an Adam’s Hand

Clearly, the crux of this device is whether its advanced and unique version of a fully adaptive grip works in a high percentage of daily activities. If it does, it’s a significant advance over traditional bionic hands. If not, it will likely not fare well in the market.

Beyond this, we have no official opinion of Adam’s Hand and are unlikely to form one until it’s been on the market for a few years and we get feedback from a sufficient number of end-users.

For a list of competitor devices, see All Bionic Hands.

If you are shopping for a bionic hand, do not miss our article on Bionic Arm & Hand Control Systems. Getting this part of your bionic system right is probably the biggest single ingredient in your long-term satisfaction.

For a comprehensive description of all current upper-limb technologies, devices, and research, see our complete guide.

Click here for more information on BionIT Labs.

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