Scientists Create Replacement Fingers

Touchs Bionics,a Scottish company,has created a prothesis that can replace any or all fingers on a hand.The prothesis was recently fitted to a man whose fingers & thumb were amputed three years ago.The prothesis,named ProDigits is basically a set of motorised digits.Each replacement digit has a tiny motor & a gear box mounted at the base.Movement is controlled by a computer chip in the prothesis.Prodigits may be opened or closed not only by sensors that pick up muscle contractions,but also the fingres to detect pressures exacted by the remnant bone.The user starts the action by flexing or relaxing a muscle in the palm.Sensors in the prothesis pick up the signals sent by the muscles & send the message to the computer chip that controls the motor.