USU researchers put control back into the hands of wounded warriors

Close-up view of the bionic arm depicting a metal arm and a rubber-looking hand

A cutting-edge bionic arm that can be controlled with subtle muscle movements is being prescribed to wounded warriors at Walter Reed

By Sarah Marshall
Contributions by Christopher Austin

(Footage by Neil Orman, Edited by Kyle Skerbe)

Dubbed the LUKE arm (Life Under Kinetic Evolution) – in reference to Luke Skywalker’s own bionic hand in the Star Wars series – the arm was developed by Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) in collaboration with Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) and The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

While not at the same level of technology as seen a long time ago in a galaxy far away, the LUKE is easily one of the most advanced pieces of prosthesis on the planet.

.gif from a scene in the Star Wars Movie of a machine poking the fingers of Luke Skywalker's prosthetic hand
We're working on it (Image Credit: Giphy)
The LUKE arms offers users more versatility than current prosthesis, including modular grips, control of multiple joints, and the ability to input commands into the arm via different inputs – including sensors worn on either the feet or arms.

This is far from the first bionic limb developed for injured Service members, but it is definitely one of the first arms that offers this degree of control. Bionic legs have been produced over the last two decades, but arms and have been harder to develop due to their complexity.

Previously, USU and WRNMMC worked with Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory to create the Modular Prosthetic Limb (MPL), which also used muscle signals to control the bionics. Before volunteers even put on the arms, they need to go through training via the Virtual Integrated Environment, which records the users’ muscle movements so that the MPL can be calibrated for the specific user.

Marine Staff Sgt. James Sides holds his wallet with the hand of his bionic arm while he types in his PIN with his left hand.
Marine Staff Sgt. James Sides is afforded an incredible amount of dexterity with a new prosthetic control system called the Implantable Myoelectric Sensor System. Cutting-edge technology uses surgically implanted sensors to allow Sides to translate his muscle signals into hand movements, allowing him to complete everyday tasks like getting cash from an ATM. (Image Credit: Neil Orman)
There have been no shortage of volunteers looking to help test out the new prosthesis, according to Navy Cmdr. Jack Tsao, director of the Traumatic Brain Injury Programs for Navy Medicine’s Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, who assisted in the development of the MPL.

 “It’s really fun working with the [MPL], and to see what’s going to be coming in the future,” said Air Force Tech Sgt. Joe Delauries, the first patient at WRNMMC to use the MPL. “Any input I can put into the program, to help them out, and future amputees, is an honor for me. It’s very rewarding.”
Currently, most prosthetic limbs attach to the body by harnesses across the torso or grips on the arm. Some iterations of the MPL can actually be mounted to the body through attachments grafted to the user’s skeleton.

Researchers are working on electrical sensors that can be attached to nerves, or even embedded in the brain, to allow for better control someday in the future.

Marine Staff Sgt. James Sides is in the act of picking up small wooden blocks with his prosthetic hand
Marine Staff Sgt. James Sides does a dexterity exercise with a prosthetic hand that utilizes implanted sensors to translate his muscle movements into motions for the appendage. It is one of several different types of bionic limbs being developed by the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. (Image Credit: Neil Orman)
“I think there’s still a lot to be learned on how the human body can integrate with computers and computer interface, and I think the sky’s the limit,” said retired Army Col. (Dr.) Paul Pasquina, the chief of Orthopedics and Prosthetics at WRNMMC and director for the Center for Rehabilitation Science Research at USU.

The developers of the arm believe that those who are willing to put their lives in harm’s way deserve the very best, and through this revolutionary project, USU and WRNMMC are working with the greatest manufacturers across the globe to come up with modern solutions to the loss of an upper limb