Ukraine has developed an innovative prosthesis that can recognise user intentions using artificial intelligence. The first prototype is currently being tested, and mass production for the market is planned to begin next year. This was announced by Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov.
The new control system, called MARS, developed by Esper Bionics, part of Brave1, uses unique sensors that read signals from muscles. This allows the prosthesis to naturally respond to the user’s intentions, bringing the control process closer to the movements of a normal hand.
The innovative approach provides intuitive control of the prosthesis, opening up the prospect of its use for controlling other devices, such as drones.
The user will be able to control the drone by changing the position of the prosthesis in space and tensing certain muscles. The system works like a computer mouse: the movement of the hand sets the direction, and muscle signals act as ‘buttons’.
In June, Esper Bionics raised $5 million to expand its production, team and research activities. The company employs 55 people in Ukraine, Germany and the US, having doubled its team size over the past year and a half.
As of June 2024, Esper Bionics manufactures about 30 prostheses per month at its production facilities in Kyiv and Berlin, which amounts to more than 300 prostheses per year, with plans to increase this figure to 500 by the end of the year.
