Bionic Hands and Gesture Computing

Everyone wants to have a bionic hand, right? Well, I do, and recently two very good models appeared on the prosthetic market. 

First is i-Limb Pulse (above) made of aluminium chasis, is one of the toughest bionic devices create to date, supporting a load up to 90 kg. Additionally, you can apply fast, high-frequency pulses to apply greater force for activities of daily living such as tying shoelaces, gripping a light switch cord or crushing someones hand. What's more, this terminator's fist analyses your myoelectric impulses in real-time to adjust gain and control strategies to your individual action model. No price available yet, but Touch Bionics claim they have already upgraded 1200 users with it.

Second, US-based company BeBionic not only offers you mioelectric bionic hand, but you can also get bionic wrist and customized artificial skin options. BeBionic Hand (above) is not as sophisticated in terms of grip options and patterns as i-Limb, but it comes close, plus it will give you more angles of flexibility with the BeBionic Wrist, to be released later this year. However, guys from BeBionic made an attempt to make the look of the limb less robotic. You have 19 skin shades available made of multi-layered blended silicon boosted with micro-pigmentation for additional depth and realism. Anyway, I prefer robotic than skin version. No price available as well...

Finally, finishing hands topic, there is a genius MIT project on gesture computing. Using $1 multicolour lycra gloves (above) and fairly simple camera you are able to operate on-screen objects (like 3D models or interfaces) using only your gestures. This is what we are waiting for, Minority Report and shit, it's coming baby, check out the clip below. 

[image credit: Touch Bionic, BeBionic, CSAIL]
[video credit: Robert Y. Wang/Jovan Popović]