The BBC have reported that the director of rehabilitation engineering services at NHS Lothian, David Gow , has developed a new prosthetic hand. The design and construction of the artificial hand was undertaken by Touch Bionics, Livingston. The hand has fully articulated finger joints and motors for each digit, allowing it to adapt to the shape of objects. The hands are intended to be available on the National Health Service in two to five years.

The hand is controlled my myoelectric sensors attached to the skin above nearby muscle tissue. There are some useful introductions to myoelectric control at the Institute of Biomedical Engineering, New Brunswick, here.

A BBC news video is available here. The BBC news story is here.

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