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New Bionic Arm in Development for Disabled Veteran Amputees

One of the Department of Defense’s research projects is working on giving disabled veterans missing an arm a more functional option for prosthetic replacement. The project, dubbed “Luke” after the Star Wars hero who lost a hand in the final battle, is being developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency in partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Research on the Luke arm began in 2005 where doctors and engineers worked to create a motorized arm with sensory mechanisms that would respond to direct neural controls.

Currently, the Luke arm has 10 degrees of motion and has a moving wrist, elbow, shoulder, and fingers. The extremities are controlled by a foot-based device that allows users to grasp and lift objects, rotate wrist and shoulder, and bend at the elbow. Researchers are looking to improve the fluidity of movements as well as the attachment to the body.

Several disabled veterans have helped in testing the Luke arm, logging over 4,000 hours of use so far in various tasks, such as holding and operating a power drill. The feedback of these veterans has helped researchers know what features are in need of improvement and what functions amputees require most in an advanced prosthetic.

If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veteran’s disability rights firm today – 1-888-234-5758.