Bionic hands convert electrical impulses from the muscles in the upper arm into movement powered by motors in the hand.
Australian swimmer Jessica Smith has had an uneasy relationship with prosthetics since a childhood accident, but her convictions are being challenged by a British bionic hand that can be updated remotely anywhere in the world.
The 2004 Athens Paralympian was born without a left hand.
Her parents were advised to fit a prosthesis to help with her development, but the device caused her to upset a boiling kettle when she was a toddler, causing burns to 15% of her body.
“There’s always been an association between the fact this prosthetic aid didn’t actually help, it created the most traumatic event in my life,” she said.
But her curiosity was sparked when she was approached by Covvi, based in Leeds, northern England, to try its Nexus hand.
Knowing it would be an emotional challenge, Smith was fitted with the device in April at the age of 37. “I think that I was ready to try something like this,” she said.
