‘Amazing’ bio-hand can be updated with new movements from anywhere in the world | UK News
A former Paralympic athlete has been fitted with a bionic hand that can update new movements and gestures from anywhere in the world.
Australian swimmer Jessica Smith said the device was “awesome” and she chose it despite having suffered an injury to a prosthetic leg as a child.
The Nexus Hand is made by British company Covvi based in Leeds, and its Bluetooth feature means its experts can update it remotely via an app.
Like other biological hands, it converts electrical impulses from the biceps muscle into movements powered by the device’s motor.
“The fact that we can change some of the things that customers want remotely is a really powerful thing and a first to market,” said Covvi CEO Simon Pollard.
Other prosthetics can be controlled via the app, but Mr Pollard says he is the first to be able to talk to a single device.
Ms. Smith said updates to hand function could be added quickly.
“I’ve had a few kids ask if I could make different hand gestures, some polite, some not so polite,” she said.
“I asked Covvi this morning, and I know it will be done in the next few hours.”
Swimmer who competed at the 2004 Paralympics had to wear prosthetic legs as a child, but her experience with a boiling kettle caused her to burn 15% of her body.
She said: ‘There’s always been a connection between the fact this prosthetic didn’t really help, it created the most traumatic event of my life.
However, she decided to equip the Nexus at the age of 37 in April, and now her three children are in awe of their “half-human, half-robot” mother.
“I’m not trying to hide who I am,” added Mrs. Smith, who now works as a speaker and children’s author.
“I’m adding and expanding who I am by having access to technology like never before.”
Covvi said it hopes to increase monthly production of the Nexus hand to 100 units and has contracted with 27 global distributors.