Rocket Powered Bionic Arm

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Michael Goldfarb, a professor at Vanderbilt University, has led the development of a prosthetic arm that, get this, is powered by miniature rocket motor systems! The fuel, hydrogen peroxide, is burnt in a catalytic reaction generating steam that opens and closes valves connected to the joints of the arm. The mechanical parts that make up the arm were precision machined to avoid any leaks. A small canister of hydrogen peroxide loaded into the arm provides sufficient energy to allow 18 hours of normal arm movement! At 450°F (232°C) one would think the super-heated steam would cause a tincy mincy discomfort to the user. Fortunately, the researchers thought of end-user comfort and insulated the really (really) hot parts of the arm. Look at the video.. the motion is quite amazing. The thumb and fingers are controlled independently. It probably sounds really cool too!

This amazing work, funded by DARPA as part of its Revolutionizing Prosthetics program, seems to focus only on the mechanical development of the arm. Other research in the program is looking at connecting such arms to our nervous system at Caltech, University of Utah and the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. There's another video with commentary on Vanderbilt University's website

See this Space Daily article for information about a prototype arm that Johns Hopkins University researchers created for the Revolutionizing Prosthetics program.