DEKA Research led by inventor Dean Kamen is currently developing a robotic prosthetic arm under contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). In the course of only a year, DEKA has gone from concept to a state-of-the-art 8.9 lb. titanium-based arm having 18 degrees of freedom.
DARPA approached Kamen to design and build an improved prosthesis for veterans who are returning from war missing limbs. They wanted something sensitive enough to pick up a grape or that could allow soldiers to use a razor to shave. It's power supply needed to be self-contained and the timeframe for completion was two years. One year into the contract, the prototype can allow a wearer many of the capabilities of a real arm. In a recent video, wearers were able to feed themselves, drink from a cup and bottle, exchange items and scratch their nose.
