Individuals with paralysis now have real hope at regaining loss limb function. As showcased on the Discovery Health Channel, Australian researchers have developed a bionic glove that mimics that function of a human hand. Mick Roffey is the first person to actually test this new device and is excited by the results. Quadriplegia left Mr. Roffey without the use of his body below the shoulders. Since surviving a catastrophic car accident, Mr. Roffey has been unable to achieve the most basic daily activities, including holding his three small children. However, this new bionic glove has enabled Mr. Roffey to finally grasp an object without assistance. The ground breaking bionic glove is equipped with wires that mimic the actual tendons and ligaments in the human hand. With a slight movement of his shoulder or wrist, the wires and cables running along with outside of the glove are activated and move Mr. Roffey’s fingers. Eventually, this glove will include a portable control panel that can activate function by either shoulder shrugging or voice recognition. This invention won Tim Scott and Veronica Ware the $10,000 British Council Eureka Prize for Inspiring Science. Peter Abolfathi, a PhD student at the Royal North Shore Hospital’s Quadriplegic Hand Research Unit, created this prototype and has given Mr. Roffey and other quadriplegic individuals a glimpse of the possible future of rehabilitation medicine. This type of therapy is currently in use with the larger joints of the human body, such as the knee, but this is the first time the complex function of the hand has been accurately mimicked in this way. Abolfathi’s bionic glove will continue to be stream-lined, eventually becoming lighter in weight, quieter and more discreet for the user. Image: Noel Kessel