Sure, we may still be decades away from producing superhuman cyborgs, but these bionic body parts do give us plenty of hope. They range from a bionic ankle and foot system, to real brain-controlled body parts. Continue reading to see them all.
5. Bionic Ankle and Foot System
In this video presentation, “iWalk CEO Tim McCarthy introduces the PowerFoot BiOM, the world’s first truly bionic ankle and foot system – produced by Erin Baldassari for the Boston Phoenix.”
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4. Brain-Controlled Bionic Arm
Claudia Mitchell of Arkansas, who lost her arm in a motorcycle accident in 2004, demonstrates advanced, multi-degree control of the DEKA Research arm at She underwent targeted muscle reinnervation in 2005. Video courtesy of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and DEKA Research.
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3. Bionic Fingers
That’s right, 15-year-old Chloe Holmes “from Swindon [UK] has become the youngest person in Europe to be fitted with bionic fingers.” In the video, you’ll see exactly how the $62,914 device works. After contracting chicken pox as a toddler, Chloe came down with septicemia, which claimed the young girl’s fingers. Her whole life she’s been wearing rubber hands which would cover up her lack of fingers, but were not very functional besides that.
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2. Bionic Arm
Evan Reynolds lost his arm in a car accident and was fitted with the i-LIMB, which now enables him to compete simple tasks such as holding an apple. The i-Limb was developed by a Scottish company, Touch Bionics, and has won awards for its innovative technology. The total cost including the hand itself and the fitting is about 30,000 pounds.
1. Bionic Eye
That’s right, Rob Spence worked with engineers to develop an artificial eye that turns him into a real cyborg. This device is basically “turned on by waving a magnet near it, at which point it will begin transmitting a wireless video signal to a handheld LCD viewer.” Yes, “Spence refers to himself as ‘the eyeborg guy’, embracing the term bionic which involves fusing technology with the human body.”
