Two Ukrainian soldiers who were amputated after being wounded by landmines are fitted with state-of-the-art British-made bionic arms.
They are the first veterans to wear the new Hero Arm, a 3D-printed prosthetic made by Bristol-based technology company Open Bionics.
Andrii Gidzun and Vitalii Ivashchuk put their skills to the test in Munich this week. The fingers and thumb are movable, and you can pinch and grab things. It is controlled by sensors activated by the muscles of the forearm.
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He has 3D printed custom prostheses for two men and plans to wear them next month.
Vitalii, 24, described testing the Hero Arm as “a very cool feeling,” adding, “I’m glad I got the chance to have such a functional prosthesis. I wasn’t there.
“When the electrodes were applied and I had the chance to test this prosthesis, I just enjoyed it. I was delighted to say the least.”
The male prosthesis was funded by Mastercard, which is backing the charity Superhumans, which is raising £33m to build a specialized hospital in the Ukrainian city of Lviv.
The Superhumans Center works with Open Bionics to provide prostheses, rehabilitation and counseling to civilians and soldiers who have lost limbs as a result of war.
First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska serves on the Center’s board of directors.
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The Ukrainian government estimates that at least 62,000 square miles of its territory are littered with mines and other unexploded ordnance.
Joel Gibbard, head of the open bionics team that does prosthetic fittings, told Sky News that civilian casualties include children, who are often unaware of the danger. Told.
he said:
“Technology is not yet ready to replace the human hand. We designed it for everyday life activities.
“We aim to be able to hold objects of different sizes, to be able to lift things, to hold a coffee cup, to tie shoelaces, and to brush our teeth. It was given.”
Olga Rudneva, CEO of Superhumans, said: “The philosophy of Superhumans is that patients receive the best medical services in their native language, at home, next to their families.
“Up to 3,000 patients will be admitted each year when the Superhuman Center opens.Thanks to our partners and donors, patients will have access to all services free of charge.”