Kenyan inventors of Bio-robotic Prosthesis Arm illustrate how it works

Speaking on Citizen TV on Monday, they illustrated that the machine is powered solely by brain signals, converting the brain's messaging into an electric current via a neuro node bio-potential headset receiver.

The headset receiver is worn on the head and the user thinks of an action within which the gadget responds to the action the user thinks of.

The machine can interpret any tiny detail like clinching fists, raising an arm, folding an arm, throwing a punch and even feeding the user.

“The machine is able to interpret the pressing thoughts in the brain. The many thoughts controlled by the central nervous system, the machine is able to interpret,” Kiuna said.

The inventors further revealed the idea to come up with the machine was initiated in 2009 and the idea was actualized in 2020 by gathering knowledge about electronics from science-related books like physics course books.

The actualization of the idea was influenced by the coronavirus pandemic and they intended to use the machine for sanitization purposes.

After Kenya started to successfully deal with the coronavirus, the original functionality of the machine was changed and they had to repurpose the device to help people with disabilities.

"The reason why we designed this bio-robotic hand is because we wanted to help those people who have lost the use of their limbs, the disabled people. Our aim is to give them something that will help them or will aid them to go into their daily activities to move from a dependent person to an independent person," Gathu said. 

Another device aligned to the bio-robotic prosthetic arm was the Muscle-Attached Prosthetic Arm which responds to the activity of the arm muscle as demonstrated by Gathu. The device bio-hacks signals from the brain through the radial muscle of the arm.

Gathu revealed that the Muscle-Attached Prosthetic arm took them duration of one year to complete the device.

He continued to say that they had first made the machine for a neighbor who was arm-impaired back in 2012 and helped the neighbour do house chores among other things.

They added that the two devices were created using locally available materials like disposed off television mother-boards.

Kiuna said the biggest people they look up to are Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Tesla founder Elon Musk.

The pair project to see their invention turn commercial as they plead with the government to support their talent by providing support funds.