Article written by Free health remedies

The first person on Earth to receive a robotic, mind-controlled hand is staff sergeant James Sides. Sides is retired, and he was wounded during his second tour of Afghanistan by an IED he was trying to disarm. The wounded man returned home to a gift from the Alfred Mann Foundation.

The Foundation, which plays a central role in the development of Alfred Mann Institutes across America, is also charged with outreach for the purpose of furthering the use of robotics and prosthetics. They located Sides and asked him to participate in a new program. This voluntary program began with sensors embedded within Sides’ forearm. Those sensors read his muscle movements, which then inform the hand of how to move. He can turn his wrist and close his palm, all thanks to the power of robotics.

Sides is the first person in the world to receive this stunning piece of technology, but he is part of a group of seven individuals who all received prosthetic technology. This test will provide some usage data, but it might also provide some clues about the lifespan of the device and the costs to use and maintain it. If successful, we might see new prosthetic technology attached to those who need it most.

It’s hard to bring back the life that these people have lost, but prosthetics is a major step in the direction. Steve Doctrow, of Rogers & Cowan, is working with the Foundation to bring attention to this important medical breakthrough in the hopes that testing will continue. Deployment is possible, and that means lives saved.