The Food and Drug Administration gave its approval for the DEKA Arm System, a robotic prosthetic arm controlled by the brain similar to the Luke's from "Star Wars," according to CNN.
The DEKA Arm is nicknamed "Luke" after Luke Skywalker in "Star Wars," who lost his arm after it was cut off by Darth Vader during a lightsaber fight in the iconic sci-fi film, CNN reported. He was then fitted with an arm he could control with his mind.
The DEKA Arm is controlled using electromyogram electrodes connected to the user's muscles, allowing the arms to perform up to ten simultaneous movements signaled by the electrodes when the wearer thinks of actions, such as touching or grasping something, according to CNN.
This can help with tasks like picking up eggs and other delicate processes that are still difficult with modern prostheses, CNN reported.
The battery-powered arm is about the size and weight of a natural limb and has six different grips, according to CNN. A computer in the device can tell what type of movement its wearer wants to make.
"This innovative prosthesis provides a new option for people with certain kinds of arm amputations," said Christy Foreman, director of the FDA's Office of Device Evaluation, CNN reported. The DEKA arm "may allow some people to perform more complex tasks than they can with current prostheses in a way that more closely resembles the natural motion of the arm."
The DEKA Arm was developed by Segway inventor Dean Kamen's team at DEKA Research with funding coming in part from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the U.S. Army Research Office, according to CNN.
Kamen said the arm can be fitted for people who lost their limb at the shoulder, mid-upper arm and mid-lower arm, but it cannot yet be adapted for limb loss at the elbow or wrist, CNN reported. FDA approval means the DEKA Arm can be sold to the public but prices are not yet available.
