Nov 20, 2008 11:00 pm US/Eastern
Health: Miracle Of Robotic Hand
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ―
Revolutionary technology, a Chester County painter becomes one of the first in the country to have his life turned around with a new age robotic.
Erminio Bugliana is a painter who struggles with his brush. He lost one hand and the other was badly mangled in a fireworks accident 20 years ago.
"You learn to become patient, or you can just go out of your mind," said Bugliana.
Now after two decades, a seemingly impossible dream is coming true for the 52-year-old artist from Chadds Ford.
We were there as Erminio gets his new robotic hand, the moment he feels it for the very first time.
"It's really unbelievable," he told us.
It's a revolutionary prosthetic called i-LIMB, the first artificial hand that can move fingers independently.
"There's just so many things going through my mind in regards to life being so much easier," said Erminio.
Like hold a cup or grab a credit card. The robotic hand works with nerves and muscles in the forearm where the hand is attached.
Erminio flexes certain muscles in his forearm to make the hand move in different ways.
"The micro-processor in here is basically the whole thing that makes it work independently, plus there's a motor in each individual digit," said Jared Howell, Prosthetist.
"They outdid themselves on this one," remarked Erminio.
Now with a glove for better gripping, Erminio will be able to ride a motorcycle.
After two decades of dreaming and hoping, Ermino is back to painting, holding a brush, his life back in hand.
"It's funny how God can take something away, but also he can give it back," Erminio told us.
He's also looking forward to cutting a steak and driving a car, simple everyday things like buttoning his shirt.
The new robotic hand is covered by insurance. It's expected to be heavily used by the veterans who lose hands in combat.
RELATED LINK:
http://www.abilitypo.com/
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