Artificial Hand Gives Amputees Movement

A prosthetic hand that would allow amputees to move fingers independently could be ready for production in a year. The prototype, demonstrated at Rutgers University, allows so much control, one amputee was able to play a keyboard using it. The system consists of the artificial hand, a silicon sleeve custom-fitted over the end of the arm, three sensors and wiring from the sensors linking a computer and the hand. Each sensor detects motion of a tendon that normally would move a particular finger, then the computer relays signals to that finger.