How does a bionic arm work?

Who is the bionic arm for?

Bionic arms such as the Hero Arm are worn by people with below-elbow limb differences, like KateDan and Raimi. We develop bionic limbs that are bespoke to you for optimal comfort and functionality. Whether you have an acquired or congenital limb difference, our team will work with you to ensure the Hero Arm is the right fit to help you reach your goals.

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What makes the Hero Arm bionic?

A bionic arm works by picking up signals from a user’s muscles. When a user puts on their bionic arm and flexes muscles in their residual limb just below their elbow; special sensors detect tiny naturally generated electric signals, and convert these into intuitive and proportional bionic hand movement. The bionic hand is controlled by tensing the same muscles which are used to open and close a biological hand. To close the Hero Arm’s hand, and perform the selected grip, imagine flexing the wrist inwards while pulling the fingers into the heel of the hand. To open the hand, imagine extending the wrist with an outstretched palm.

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How can you control a bionic arm?

Most Hero Arm users tell us that they’re able to control their bionic hand within just ten minutes, whereas some require a little more rehabilitation to strengthen their muscle sites. The technology fitted inside the bionic arm is known scientifically as electromyography, and the special sensors are electromyographical, or EMG, electrodes. Myoelectric bionic arms are plug and play, meaning users can take their bionic arm on and off with ease. The Hero Arm has an adjustable dynamic socket for maximum comfort. No surgery is required; we simply identify a user’s strongest muscle sites and take a 3D scan or cast of their residual limb before custom building a Hero Arm.

If you know someone who would love a Hero Arm in 2022 and needs support to help fund it, register today!

Getting to grips with bionic arms

Grab, pinch, high five! Bionic arms like the Hero Arm give users proportional control and multiple grip modes. The bionic hand will move more slowly when your muscles are tensed gently, and will move more quickly with a firmer tense. This control can be useful for manipulating small or delicate objects, such as eggs or ball bearings. The Hero Arm has up to six different grips, and these are grouped together in pairs to make switching between them quick and easy. To switch between the different groups, users press the button on the back of the hand. The groups are ‘fist and hook’, ‘tripod’ and ‘pinch’. To toggle between two grips in a group, users hold an open signal for more than one second.

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It’s so much fun to use and I’m finding out new things I can do with it everyday. -Tilly Lockey

How much does a bionic arm cost?

The Hero Arm is three times cheaper than any other myoelectric prosthesis. We also work with every individual who is interested in getting a Hero Arm to help them reach that goal. Register to speak to our team and find out if a Hero Arm is a right prosthesis for you.