3UK-based robotics firm, Open Bionics, has some interesting and functional prosthetics to its credit, including the world’s first 3D-printed bionic fingers. In another first, the bionics company has released the Hero Pro, which is by far out of the ordinary. The Hero Pro is the first completely wireless bionic arm that has been designed for amputees – with over four years and $2.5 million in research and feedback from 1,000 Open Bionics’ earlier users – and is twice as strong and faster than existing bionic arms out there.
Dubbed the world’s first wireless bionic arm, the Hero Pro can rotate 360 degrees at the wrist, touts a waterproof design, and is claimed to be the lightest bionic hand available. It has been designed to provide a new level of movement and control to the user, offering elevated independence without the need to any invasive surgery or chip implants. 19-year-old influencer, Tilly Lockey, who lost both hands to meningitis, has been using bionic arms by Open Bionics for almost a decade, her feedback has been used to design the Hero Pro, which she tells the Independent is “much stronger. I can remove my own hand and have it crawl across a table and back to me, controlling it via the wireless sensors in my socket. You just can’t imagine how epic this tech is.”
Designer: Open Bionics
This is made possible with the use of wireless electromyography (EMG) electrodes instead of any invasively embedded hardware. The electrodes called MyoPods are installed on the top of an amputated limb, to pick out specific muscle signals for precise hand and wrist movements. Since the Hero Pro is fully muscle-powered, it gives the wearer a higher level of flexibility, rotation, grip and ease of use.
The bionic arm is, like all the other Open Bionics arms, 3D-printed from robust Nylon PA12. The most exciting feature of the Hero Pro is how its hand acts when detached from the arm. The hand can be remotely controlled to crawl over a surface and grab and release objects with precision. The hand features a touchscreen fingertip on the index finger, so as to be used with a smartphone on the go.
Of course, being wireless and creepy (hand moving detached from the arm) makes the Hero Pro different from its predecessors, but its ability to carry twice the load as its previous generations is also a big differentiator. It can carry a 57lbs payload and has 7 powerful grip modes to handle a morning coffee mug, zipping a jacket, washing dishes, and carrying luggage with precision and ease. The grips can be further customized using the Sidekick app, while more grip options will be added by the company through an over-the-air update.
The rechargeable Hero Pro with battery in the hand takes four hours to charge using a USB-C port. It is a functional fashion accessory that is designed to let the wearer express themselves. To that accord, the customizable bionic arm comes with over 50 cover designs in a range of colors and patterns. Users can easily pick and swap a 3D printed cover to match their mood and personality.
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