There was a time when wooden legs, glass eyes and rubber hands were the best we could do, but these eight breakthroughs in prosthetics technology may yet provide a better way of living for those dealing with blindness, deafness and the loss of a limb.
Carbon Fiber Limbs
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The advantage of carbon fiber is that it is more flexible, it has some give, and thus feels more lifelike in leg prosthetics.
Sensitive Cyber Skins
Image: PNAS
Scientists are developing super-sensitive cyber skins that can feed sensation back to an electrode implanted in the skin, allowing a sense of touch in prosthetic hands.
Microprocessor Knees
Microprocessors implanted in the knee can help artificial joints to behave more like real joints. These tiny computers can fit just about anywhere.
