i-Limb

Close-up of a flesh colored robotic hand system pinching a die between two fingers. — The i-Limb is designed to grasp everyday objects. Photo: Touch Bionics

The i-Limb is a bionic prosthesis designed for hand amputees. It uses sensors placed against the skin to allow users to control functions of their robotic hand naturally, through muscle signals.

Creator

Touch Bionics

(Originally developed by Touch Bionics, acquired by Össur in 2016.)

Year

2011

Country

United Kingdom 🇬🇧

Categories

Medical

Features

Interview with two i-Limb users. Video: Touch Bionics

Did you know?

Each finger in the i-Limb hand is independently movable with its own motor, and the wrist can include a motor as well.

A prosthetic hand is covered by realistic skin with fingernails. — The prosthetic can be fitted with realistic skin. Photo: Touch Bionics

A man with a prosthetic hand holds a camera with both hands. — The i-Limb can gradually increase the strength of its grip. Photo: Touch Bionics

More Images

A person ties their shoelaces with their hand and prosthetic hand. — A precision pinch mode lets users grasp small objects. Photo: Touch Bionics

A man with a realistic looking prosthetic hand is examined by another man. — A user gets his prosthetic adjusted. Photo: Touch Bionics

Close-up of metallic and black joints. — A close-up of the finger joints. Photo: Touch Bionics

Specs

Overview: Equipped with five independently powered fingers. Capable of communicating with a PC via Bluetooth for feature selection and customization.
Status: Ongoing
Year: 2011
Website: ossur.com/en-us/prosthetics/touch-solutions
Weight: 0.47 kg
Sensors: Surface skin electrodes (to detect myoelectric signals from the wearer's muscles)
Actuators: Five DC motors (one for each finger)
Degrees of Freedom (DoF): 7 (Wrist: 1 DoF; Finger: 1 DoF x 4; Thumb: 2 DoF)
Materials: Aluminum chassis, high density plastics.
Compute: DSP unit
Software: Custom software
Power: 7.4-V 1300-mAh lithium-polymer battery
Cost: $100,000 (estimated; actual cost depends on patient)