The future is in our grasp: robotic limbs are propelling us into the future

This month, The Engineer reported on A-Gear, robotic arm supports developed by researchers at The University of Twente as aids for those affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The active support is designed to amplify residual function in the arm, restoring a measure of independence to its users.

This noble effort is one of many exoskeleton and smart prosthetic projects underway around the world, with applications ranging from Darpa’s Revolutionizing Prosthetics project (designed to create prosthetics for wounded US military personnel) to additional limbs intended to augment the human form.

Such projects make for exciting news. Perhaps more than any other branch of engineering, the robotic limb calls to mind science fiction, its rapid development serving as a kind of benchmark in the public consciousness for humanity’s technological advance. This is reflected in the reporting on such projects, which is often accompanied by headlines speaking of ‘Turning science fiction into science fact’.

The invocation of science fiction in this context is understandable. Artificial limbs have a distinguished history in the genre, helping to define hundreds of characters. They often appear in cinema: from Rotwang’s black hand in Metropolis; through the Skywalker family’s prosthetics; to Imperator Furiosa’s scrap metal paw in Mad Max: Fury Road. They play a big part in comic books too: see Dr Octopus’s tentacle arms, and Mean Machine Angel’s huge metal claw in 2000AD.